What happened
During an approach to Ibagué-Perales Airport, the flight crew encountered adverse weather conditions that prevented them from identifying the runway. In response to the low visibility, the captain elected to perform a go-around. During this process, the pilot notified air traffic control of the intention to divert to an alternate airfield should a subsequent landing attempt also prove unsuccessful.
Shortly after this decision, while maintaining an altitude of 5,000 feet, the aircraft collided with the terrain on the slope of Mt Saludo, situated approximately 5.6 km west of the airport. The force of the impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. There were 15 fatalities among the occupants of the flight.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the accident was a result of controlled flight into terrain. This occurred after the aircraft departed from its established go-around flight path for reasons that remain undetermined.