Accident Overview
On the day of the accident, an aircraft departed from runway 04L at Maracaibo-Grano de Oro Airport. During the initial climb at an altitude of 150 feet, the airplane struck power cables. The collision caused a loss of speed and height, leading to a crash into the La Trinidad district near the airport. The impact and subsequent fire completely destroyed the aircraft. All 84 occupants and 71 people on the ground were killed. Additionally, more than 20 buildings were destroyed and over 100 individuals were injured, some seriously.
Official Findings
According to the investigation, the flight was intended to travel to Miami. The takeoff was attempted under marginal weather conditions from runway 04L, which has a length of 6,792 feet. For reasons that remain undetermined, the temperature sensors positioned along the runway transmitted incorrect values. Prior to departure, the flight crew performed the necessary calculations for the takeoff configuration using these erroneous temperature readings. This led to incorrect takeoff performance data. As a result, the takeoff roll was longer than expected, and the rotation was completed later than normal. After liftoff, the aircraft attained a minimum altitude insufficient to clear the obstacles located beyond the end of the runway.