What happened
On a charter mission for the Texaco Oil Company, a twin engine aircraft departed from Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport at 10:38 local time, bound for Nueva Loja-Lago Agrio Airport. The flight was transporting 21 oil workers along with five crew members.
During the flight, while operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at an altitude of 15,500 feet, air traffic control issued an instruction to the crew to adjust their heading to 094° to facilitate a descent toward runway 23 at the destination. The crew did not follow this directive and maintained their original course.
Shortly after, the aircraft began its descent into an area characterized by heavy fog. During this phase, the plane collided with the slope of Mt El Tigre, situated in southern Colombia near the Ecuadorian border. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate. Search teams located the wreckage three days later at an elevation of 4,500 meters. There were 26 fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
- The crew failed to comply with air traffic control instructions regarding a heading change.
- Low visibility due to foggy conditions during the descent phase contributed to the collision with terrain.