What happened
During a night arrival at Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón Airport, the flight crew encountered heavy rain and significantly reduced visibility. Although air traffic control directed the crew to perform an instrument approach, the pilots requested a visual approach to runway 02 instead. After failing to establish visual contact with the runway, the crew performed a go-around and executed a right turn to attempt a second approach. This subsequent attempt was also aborted due to the continued lack of visibility.
In an effort to find the runway, the captain then turned the twin engine aircraft toward runway 20. This maneuver deviated from the established flight procedures. While flying at an altitude of 1,200 meters, the aircraft collided with a mountain slope located approximately 5.9 km northwest of the airport. The impact caused the total destruction of the aircraft, and there were nine fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
- The crew attempted a visual approach despite weather conditions that necessitated an instrument approach.
- The pilot performed a turn toward runway 20 that was not in compliance with published procedures.