What happened
In the early morning hours, a cargo flight departed from San José Airport, bound for Upala. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, while the aircraft was maintaining an altitude of 4,700 feet, it collided with the side of the Arenal volcano. At the time of the impact, the aircraft was flying through cloud cover. The collision resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and caused two fatalities, as both pilots on board were killed.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing elements to the crash. It was determined that a northeast wind had pushed the plane slightly away from its intended flight path. Additionally, the crew was operating in heavy stratus clouds, which prevented them from visually identifying the volcanic terrain. The investigation also noted that the crew initiated their descent toward Upala earlier than necessary, which served as an additional factor in the collision.