Departure and Navigation
Following departure from Maracaibo-La Chinita Airport, the aircraft was destined for Santa Bárbara de Zulia. The crew selected a heading of 153° instead of the correct heading of 193°, which directed the flight southeast over Lake Maracaibo instead of toward the intended destination. While cruising at an altitude of 16,500 feet, air traffic control cleared the crew to descend to 5,500 feet.
Descent and Recognition of the Error
During the descent, the crew reported to ATC that the VOR seemed inoperative, but the air traffic controller denied this assessment. As the aircraft descended to 9,900 feet, the captain realized that the heading selection was incorrect. He stopped the descent and initiated a right turn to gain altitude. At that moment, the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) activated.
Impact and Occupants
Shortly after the GPWS alarm sounded, the aircraft struck the slope of Mount Paramo Los Torres, located approximately 27 kilometers southwest of Valera. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate. All 45 occupants on board were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the accident resulted from a combination of factors: the crew failed to prepare the flight according to published procedures and did not follow various checklists; they failed to recognize the wrong heading after takeoff and did not perform required en-route checks; they were distracted by conversations with a third person seated on the jumpseat throughout the flight; they did not supervise the flight according to standard operations; there was poor crew coordination and a lack of discipline. Furthermore, at the time of impact, the aircraft was operating under visual flight rules (VFR) in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and visibility was poor due to low clouds surrounding the mountains.