What happened
Following several completed sorties earlier in the day, an aircraft arriving from Montevideo-Carrasco was prepared for a demonstration flight. The purpose of the mission was to showcase the maneuverability of the plane to thirteen officers from the Uruguayan Army who had boarded around midday.
During the low-altitude flight operations, the aircraft collided with a tree near the threshold of runway 27. The impact resulted in a massive explosion upon crashing. Of the occupants on board, 16 fatalities were recorded immediately following the accident. One passenger sustained severe burns and survived the initial impact, but later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
Findings
- The aircraft was performing maneuvers at a low altitude when it struck a tree.
- The crash sequence involved a high-intensity explosion upon impact with the ground.