Accident Sequence
A Peruvian Navy aircraft crashed into the sea off the coast of Lima, Peru, at approximately 20:15 hours. The aircraft was transporting 16 football players of the Alianza Lima team, along with staff, cheerleaders, and referees, after a match against Deportivo Pucallpa. The flight departed Pucallpa at 18:30. During the approach to Lima, the flight crew observed an indication that the nose landing gear might not lock down. A low flyby was performed to allow air traffic control to visually inspect the gear. The gear appeared operational, and the crew prepared for another approach. In darkness, the aircraft impacted the water.
Survivors and Rescue
Three occupants survived the initial impact, but only the pilot was rescued alive the following morning.
Investigation Findings
The investigation revealed that the flight crew had limited night flying experience. The captain recorded 5.3 night-flight hours in the preceding 90 days, 3.3 hours in the previous 60 days, and none in the last 30 days. The co-pilot had accumulated 90 minutes of night flight experience two months before the accident. Furthermore, due to limited English proficiency, the co-pilot executed the wrong emergency procedure after receiving instructions from the captain to address the landing gear indication.
Aircraft Deficiencies
The aircraft was dispatched with multiple technical discrepancies. It lacked an inertial navigation system (INS). The UHF communication system had low reception, and the VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) receiver exhibited low sensitivity. The radio altimeter oscillated, preventing the crew from obtaining precise altitude readings. Additionally, the front landing gear actuator was worn.