What happened
On the morning of the accident, a four-engine aircraft departed from Cancún Airport at 09:22 local time. The flight was being conducted as a post-maintenance verification procedure, with a crew comprising two pilots and three engineers on board. The intended flight profile involved flying south toward Cozumel Island to perform various engine tests and system verifications, with a plan to execute an approach without landing before returning to the origin.
As the aircraft approached Cozumel, the crew encountered adverse meteorological conditions characterized by rainfall and low cloud ceilings. While operating in these limited visibility conditions, the aircraft descended beneath the required altitude of 2,000 feet. The flight ended when the aircraft impacted the sea approximately 22 km north of Cozumel Airport.
Findings
- The aircraft descended below the prescribed minimum altitude during the approach phase.
- Poor weather conditions, specifically low visibility and rain, were present during the descent.
- The accident resulted in one fatality (the captain), while the copilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries. Two other passengers remain missing.