Accident Overview
The aircraft was completing a positioning flight from Asunción to Campinas on behalf of Alas Paraguayas, operating as flight ALA028. As there was no cargo on board, the crew decided to take advantage of the situation to perform training during takeoff. During the takeoff roll on runway 02, at Vr speed, the captain reduced power on engine number one. After liftoff, power was also reduced on engine number two. The landing gear remained extended and flaps were set at 15 degrees. The aircraft became unstable, lost altitude, and crashed in the district of Mariano Roque Alonso, approximately 1,500 meters beyond the runway end. The impact and subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft. All four occupants were killed, as well as 18 individuals on the ground, most of whom were children engaged in a volleyball game.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation identified the probable cause as loss of control during initial climb resulting from the crew's decision to conduct training by intentionally reducing power on both engines. This decision was made during a critical phase of flight, and the copilot-in-command was unable to maintain aircraft control, leading to a loss of speed and a stall. Contributing factors reported by the investigation included the captain's limited experience in such a configuration, absence of flight safety doctrine in the cockpit, the execution of unauthorized takeoff training under uncontrolled conditions, and that the training was performed by an individual not qualified as an instructor.