Accident Details
The aircraft was completing a flight from Comodoro Rivadavia to Córdoba with an intermediate stop in Villa Reynolds. On board were 48 passengers and five crew members, including officers from the Argentinian Air Force traveling to Córdoba to attend the 25th anniversary celebration of the Argentinian Air Force Academy. After departing from Villa Reynolds, while cruising over a mountainous area, weather conditions deteriorated with clouds, rain, turbulence, and strong winds. At an altitude of 8,000 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mount San Agustin, located southeast of Villa Dolores. The wreckage was discovered the following morning approximately 300 metres below the summit. The aircraft disintegrated on impact, and all 53 occupants, including 20 children, were killed.
Investigation and Probable Cause
Investigators determined that the accident was a controlled flight into terrain. The official probable cause states that the aircraft was flying at an insufficient altitude over mountainous terrain in poor weather conditions.