What happened
On November 1, 2019, at approximately 10:10 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 was conducting a non-commercial flight departing from the Venado Tuerto aerodrome in the Santa Fe province. While the aircraft was in the cruise phase of its flight, the occupants experienced a sudden loss of control. This led to a high-angle impact with the ground. The accident occurred under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
The investigation
The investigation, conducted by the JIAAC, focused on the flight path and the circumstances leading to the impact near the coordinates 33º 48’ 20” S - 62º 3’ 14” W. Investigators examined the sequence of events from the departure at Venado Tuerto through the loss of control in flight. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact. The investigation noted that the registration for the aircraft was still under analysis at the time of the report.
Findings
The investigation established that the accident resulted in two fatalities, with both occupants of the aircraft losing their lives. The primary factor identified in the sequence of events was a loss of control during the cruise phase of the operation, which subsequently caused the aircraft to strike the terrain at a steep angle.