What happened
During a nighttime descent toward Santa Fe-Sauce Viejo Airport, the flight crew received notification regarding deteriorating weather at their destination. At the time, thick fog had reduced visibility to approximately 30 meters, which was significantly lower than the required operational minimums. Despite these conditions, the crew proceeded with an ILS approach for runway 03.
As the aircraft reached the short final stage of the approach, it descended beneath the minimum descent altitude (MDA). The aircraft type struck the ground roughly 430 meters before reaching the runway threshold. The force of the impact caused the loss of the undercarriage, and the plane slid an additional 180 meters before coming to a complete stop. While the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair, both pilots managed to exit the wreckage with zero fatalities and no injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the accident concluded that the primary reason for the crash was that the crew descended below the required altitude limits during an instrument approach, resulting in a ground impact. Several contributing factors were noted:
- The flight planning was insufficient, as it failed to account for the reduced visibility occurring at the airport from 01:00 hours.
- The captain made an improper request to execute an approach despite weather conditions being below legal minimums.
- The pilot made the incorrect decision to continue the approach after knowing that meteorological conditions were unsuitable.