Incident Overview
The four-engine aircraft was completing a flight from Madrid to Bogotá with intermediate stops in Lajes (Azores Islands) and Hamilton, Bermuda. While en route from Lajes to Hamilton, the navigation system failed, causing the crew to become lost and disoriented. The aircraft was cruising in strong head winds of up to 55 knots when it ran out of fuel, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft approximately 330 kilometers east of Cape May, New Jersey.
Navigation Failure and Fuel Exhaustion
The navigation system failure occurred for unknown reasons, leaving the crew unable to determine their position. As the aircraft continued flying into strong head winds, fuel consumption increased significantly beyond planned levels. The combination of navigational uncertainty and adverse weather conditions led to fuel exhaustion, necessitating a ditching at sea.
Rescue and Aftermath
Following the ditching, the aircraft remained afloat for about 56 hours before sinking and being lost. Rescue efforts resulted in the evacuation of eight occupants, while five others were killed. The aircraft was not recovered.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause of the accident was the failure of the navigation system in flight for unknown reasons. The crew got lost and disoriented, and a forced landing was necessary after the airplane ran out of fuel due to an excessive fuel consumption caused by strong head winds (up to 55 knots).