What happened
A cargo flight departed from Panama City-Tocumen Airport at 05:49 local time, bound for Managua. The four-engine aircraft was operated with a total of six crew members on board. During the flight, the aircraft encountered conditions of limited visibility while cruising.
The final communication from the crew was received at 06:53 local time. Following this loss of contact, search and rescue operations were launched to locate the missing plane. However, after several days of searching without any evidence of the wreckage or the occupants, the mission was terminated.
On 19 August 1989, hikers discovered the debris from the accident at an elevation of 2,800 meters. The site was located on the slopes of Mt Fábrega, near the western border of Panama and Costa Rica, approximately 500 meters below the mountain's peak.
Findings
- All six fatalities occurred during the impact with the terrain.
- The accident took place while the aircraft was in the cruise phase.
- Limited visibility was present during the flight period when the aircraft struck the mountain slope.