What happened
While performing a takeoff roll on runway 25 at Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport, the flight crew received an alert indicating a fire in the forward cargo area. In response to this alarm, the captain elected to abort the takeoff and applied emergency braking to stop the aircraft.
Despite the attempt to halt the movement, the aircraft could not stop before the end of the runway. The aircraft subsequently overran the runway, striking an ILS antenna and descending an embankment. The sequence of events concluded when the plane collided with a brick wall, coming to a final stop approximately 300 metres beyond the runway threshold. The incident resulted in no fatalities among the 66 occupants, though eight passengers sustained injuries during the excursion.
Findings
- The crew responded to a fire alarm in the forward cargo compartment.
- The aircraft was unable to stop within the available runway distance during the aborted takeoff.
- The impact with an antenna and a brick wall caused the aircraft to be damaged beyond repair.