Incident Overview
A charter flight operating from Kingston, Jamaica, to Houston, Texas, with an intermediate stop in Cozumel, Quintana Roo, crashed during the approach to Cozumel Airport. The aircraft was carrying six passengers and a crew of six. The approach was initiated at dusk and under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) mode. On short final, the aircraft struck approach lights and impacted the ground 503 meters short of runway 29 threshold.
Occupant Injuries
One pilot was killed in the accident, while the second pilot sustained serious injuries. All six passengers escaped with minor injuries.
Flight Details
The flight was a charter service with an intermediate stop planned in Cozumel. The approach was conducted under VFR conditions during evening twilight. The aircraft collided with approach lights before coming to rest short of the runway.
Official Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the probable cause of the accident was impact with the ground during the approach at dusk (evening twilight) with a wrong altimeter setting on the second officer's instruments, during an operation completed under VFR mode.