What happened
On an international flight traveling from Luanda to Malabo, the crew was operating at an altitude of 4,200 meters when they received their final weather update for Malabo Airport. Following this briefing, the aircraft was cleared to begin its descent for a landing on runway 05. Air traffic control instructed the crew to notify them once the runway was visible; the crew subsequently provided an estimated time of arrival for 07:52 local time.
During the approach phase, while flying at a speed of 490 km/h and an altitude of 750 meters, the aircraft type struck the southern slope of Mt San Carlos. The crash site is situated approximately 48 km southwest of Malabo Airport. The wreckage was not discovered until June 6, when it was spotted by the pilot of a private helicopter. Search and rescue operations did not reach the location until June 18.
The impact and subsequent fire resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. There were 45 fatalities among the occupants, with no survivors recorded.
Findings
Official investigations could not establish a definitive cause for the accident. Investigators determined that air traffic control provided adequate assistance and transmitted all required information to the crew. While the possibility of a non-functional aircraft radar was considered, it could not be ruled out. The investigation suggested that controlled flight into terrain may have occurred due to potential errors in navigation or altitude calculations by the crew, leading to an unplanned descent and deviation from the intended path to runway 05.