What happened
During a night departure from runway 05 at Cap Haïtien Airport, the crew of the aircraft encountered mechanical difficulties during the initial climb phase. Following the onset of these issues, the crew declared an emergency, and air traffic control authorized a return to the airport.
While the aircraft was performing a base leg for the approach, it lost altitude and impacted a sugar cane field situated approximately 2 km from the airfield. The impact resulted in a post-crash fire. There were 21 fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft type.
Findings
Reports following the accident indicated that the door of the forward baggage compartment had opened during the takeoff sequence, which contributed to the emergency.