What happened
During the final approach phase to Posadas-Libertador General José de San Martín Airport, the flight crew encountered severe weather conditions characterized by heavy fog. At the time of the incident, visibility had degraded to approximately 100 meters. Despite the low visibility, the crew proceeded past the established decision height and continued their descent.
The aircraft subsequently collided with the tops of eucalyptus trees before crashing into a thick forested area situated roughly 3 km before reaching runway 01. The impact caused the aircraft to burst into flames, leading to its total destruction. There were 22 fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the crew elected to proceed with the approach despite weather conditions falling below established minimums. This decision led to the aircraft descending below the required decision height without the crew establishing visual contact with the runway environment. Contributing factors included improperly planned approach procedures, insufficient coordination between the crew members, and the extremely limited visibility caused by fog.