Accident Sequence
On the day of the accident, a twin-engine aircraft departed La Serena-La Florida Airport at 1053 local time for a geophysical mission over Domeyko. The flight was conducting a magnetic prospection survey on behalf of a mining program, with one pilot and one passenger on board. Seven minutes after takeoff, the pilot informed air traffic control that the aircraft was at 6,500 feet and would descend to 500 feet once over the Domeyko area. Approximately half an hour later, the aircraft crashed on the slope of Mount Yerbas Buenas, about 84 kilometers north of La Serena Airport. The impact triggered a fire that consumed the aircraft. The wreckage was located four hours later at an elevation of 1,579 meters. Both occupants were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed by the post-crash fire.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined the probable cause of the accident. The pilot suffered a loss of situational awareness while flying at low altitude, which prevented him from avoiding a collision with the mountain. The investigation also noted that conducting such an operation in a single-pilot configuration was a contributing factor because of the high workload involved.