What happened
During a flight originating from Howard Airbase in Panama, the crew attempted an approach to Trujillo Airport under challenging meteorological conditions. The weather at the time featured a haze that limited visibility to 2,500 meters, a ceiling of 1,500 feet, and northerly winds reaching gusts of 25 knots.
As the aircraft was executing a left-hand turn at a low altitude, it was flying with its landing gear and flaps in the retracted position. During this maneuver, the left wingtip made contact with the water. This impact caused the aircraft to lose control, leading to a crash into the ocean roughly 13 km away from the airport. There were 21 fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft type.
Findings
- The flight was performing a low-altitude turn with the landing gear and flaps not deployed.
- The wingtip struck the water surface during the maneuver, leading to the loss of control.