What happened
Following a flight from Medellín-José María Córdova Airport to Panama City-Tocumen, an MD-82 was prepared for a scheduled service to Martinique. During the climb phase of flight WCW 708, which departed Panama City at approximately 06:00 UTC, the aircraft reached a cruising altitude of FL310. While attempting to climb further to FL330, the aircraft's airspeed began to drop from Mach 0.76 at 06:49 UTC. During this deceleration, the horizontal stabilizer moved from 2 units nose up to 4 units nose up.
At 06:51 UTC, while positioned over the SIDOS waypoint near the Colombian/Venezuelan border, the crew requested a direct route to the ONGAL waypoint. During communications with air traffic control, the crew discussed potential icing conditions and the necessity of activating anti-ice systems for the engines and airfoils. At 06:57 UTC, the crew received permission to descend to FL310. Upon disconnecting the autopilot to begin the descent, the aircraft's airspeed continued to decline, and the engine EPR dropped to flight idle levels as the plane passed FL315.
As the aircraft continued to descend, the crew requested further reductions in altitude, eventually asking for FL240. During this period, the crew informed controllers that both engines had flamed out. As the aircraft descended through FL250, the airspeed reached a minimum of 150 knots, triggering the altitude alert, stick shaker, and aural stall warnings. The crew reported a loss of control while descending through FL140. The aircraft entered a high-speed descent of 7,000 ft/min before impacting a swampy area. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, and all 160 occupants were killed.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a continuous loss of airspeed during the descent phase.
- Both engines experienced a flameout during the descent from FL330.
- The aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall, evidenced by the activation of the stick shaker and stall warnings.