What happened
During a flight from Lima to Pucallpa, the crew encountered intense thunderstorm activity and heavy turbulence while cruising at 21,000 feet. During this period of extreme weather, lightning struck the right wing of the aircraft, resulting in an onboard fire that eventually caused the wing to separate from the fuselage. As the pilot attempted to maintain control of the aircraft amidst the ongoing turbulence, the left wing suffered a structural failure.
Following these consecutive failures, the aircraft lost all stability and entered a steep dive, impacting the ground in a forested, mountainous area within the Puerto Inca region. The crash resulted in a large debris field and multiple fatalities. Amidst the wreckage, one passenger, a 17-year-old female, was ejected from the plane during the impact. She survived the crash despite sustaining a broken collarbone, a concussion, an eye injury, and a deep laceration to her arm. After wandering through the jungle for ten days, she was located and rescued by local lumbermen.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the aircraft experienced a total loss of control due to the structural failure of the left wing and an intense fire on the right wing. These events were triggered by the encounter with severe turbulence and lightning strikes during a thunderstorm.