What happened
During an approach to Cuenca-Mariscal Lamar Airport, a four-engine airplane impacted a mountain slope within the Cajas Mountain Range. The accident took place approximately 40 km north of the aircraft's intended destination. At the time of the impact, the flight was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) despite being in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).
Search efforts located the wreckage a few hours after the event. There were 33 fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft, with no survivors reported from the crash site.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the crew was attempting to navigate under VFR while encountering adverse weather conditions. This led to a controlled flight into terrain.