What happened
On the morning of the accident, a twin engine aircraft departed from Guatemala City-La Aurora Airport at 08:40 local time, bound for San Salvador-Ilopango Airport. The flight was operated with a crew consisting of one pilot and two passengers.
During the initial climb, while operating within instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), the pilot contacted air traffic control to report malfunctions regarding the onboard instruments. In response to this technical issue, the pilot was authorized to perform an immediate return to the departure airport.
Shortly after the request for return, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent. The plane struck a meat packing plant situated along the approach path. The impact and subsequent destruction of the building caused the total loss of the aircraft. The accident resulted in four fatalities, comprising all three people on board the aircraft and one individual working at the factory.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in IMC at the time of the incident.
- The pilot identified specific technical difficulties with the flight instruments prior to the descent.