What happened
A flight traveling from Hamburg to Bogotá, with several intermediate stops including Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, and Ponta Delgada, was forced to divert to Lajes due to fog at its next destination. After refueling at Lajes Airport, the four-engine aircraft departed runway 34 at 02:37 local time, bound for Hamilton, Bermuda.
Approximately three minutes after takeoff, while in the climbing phase, the aircraft struck a mountain slope roughly 9 km southwest of the airport. The impact caused the plane to burst into flames and disintegrate. There were 30 fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
Investigations determined that the primary cause was the pilot's failure to follow standard departure procedures. Instead of turning right toward the sea, the crew executed a left turn toward the land. While the crew intended to navigate toward Ponto Sul to avoid terrain, they failed to realize that this required an eastward heading over the ocean rather than a westward path over the island.
Evidence from the wreckage indicated no mechanical failures were responsible for the deviation. Although instructions regarding the departure procedure had been provided during both briefings and by the tower, the crew did not properly execute the necessary turn. The pilot's familiarity with different takeoff procedures at other Azores airports, such as Santa Maria, likely contributed to the error in navigating the specific terrain around Lajes.