What happened
During a repositioning flight traveling from Caracas Intl Airport toward Charallave-Óscar Machado Zuloaga, the crew encountered difficulties with navigational aids. Upon beginning their descent, the flight crew learned that the Instrument Landing System (ILS) glideslope for runway 10 was non-operational.
In response to this equipment failure, the captain elected to perform an unauthorized LOC/DME approach under nighttime conditions. While the co-pilot was acting as the pilot-in-command, the aircraft reached an altitude of 2,500 feet during the approach phase. At this point, the plane collided with a mountainside situated approximately 9.3 km from the destination airport. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, resulting in four fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the accident was the result of controlled flight into terrain. This occurred because the crew utilized an incorrect approach configuration, which caused the aircraft to descend to a level below the minimum safe altitude.