What happened
During a scheduled flight originating from Howard AFN, Panama, bound for La Paz, the aircraft was performing a descent toward La Paz-El Alto Airport. As the flight progressed, the crew encountered challenging meteorological conditions characterized by low visibility and cloud layers ranging from 700 to 24,000 feet.
While approaching the La Paz VOR, the pilot notified air traffic control of the aircraft's position, approximately three minutes from the station. Following this communication, the crew received clearance to descend from 24,000 feet to 18,000 feet. However, while maintaining an altitude of 18,700 feet, the aircraft collided with a mountain slope situated 28 km north of El Alto Airport. The impact, occurring at an elevation of 20,000 feet, caused the plane to disintegrate. There were seven fatalities among the crew.
Findings
The investigation determined that the accident was a result of controlled flight into terrain. This was likely driven by a navigational error or the misinterpretation of instruments during the descent through marginal weather. It is believed the crew incorrectly assumed they had passed the La Paz VOR, whereas the aircraft was actually positioned several kilometers to the east of the waypoint.