Flight Operations and Departure
The incident involved a scheduled flight departing from Ezeiza Airport at 1554 Local Time. The aircraft was bound for San Carlos de Bariloche, with Comodoro Rivadavia designated as the alternate aerodrome. On board were six crew members and fifty-five passengers. The Regional Centre Control Area granted clearance for an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operation outside established airways. Safety heights of 1,200 metres were mandated until reaching Neuquén, after which the altitude requirement increased to 2,400 metres up to the destination.
Loss of Contact and Crash Location
Routine communications with the airport control tower and approach control office continued until the aircraft reached Lobos. At that point, the crew was authorized to switch to telegraphy. No further information regarding the flight was available after this transition. Subsequent investigations determined that at 1645 hours, the aircraft had crashed approximately 25 kilometres southeast of Bolivar.
Accident Consequences and Findings
The impact with the terrain, followed by a subsequent fire, destroyed the aircraft completely. Tragically, all individuals on board were killed in the accident. Official findings attributed the disaster to the aircraft disintegrating in flight due to the breakage of parts of the left wing. This structural failure led to the separation of the tail section because the equipment was subjected to stresses exceeding those envisaged by the manufacturer.
Contributing Factors
The direct result of this sequence was the pilot’s decision to attempt crossing a cold surface front under conditions of extreme turbulence. The investigation identified several contributing causes, including the pilot's recklessness in descending well below the minimum safety flight altitude established for this type of operation. Additionally, the flight plan lacked a forecast showing the intensity of the meteorological phenomena encountered, and there was inadequate operational dispatch of the aircraft.