What happened
On a scheduled morning departure from Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport, flight EH232 began its journey toward Cuenca. The aircraft, a four-engine airplane, was carrying a total of 59 occupants, consisting of 55 passengers and four crew members. At approximately 08:27LT, the flight crew provided a position report indicating they were over Ambato while maintaining an altitude of 18,000 feet.
Roughly eight minutes after that communication, the aircraft encountered conditions of limited visibility. During this period, the plane impacted the side of Mount Chimborazo, which reaches an elevation of 6,263 metres. Following the failure of the aircraft to reach its destination, search and rescue operations were launched. However, due to the lack of any detectable trace of the plane or its passengers, these efforts were halted several days later.
Findings
The wreckage was not located until October 17, 2002. Shortly thereafter, on February 18, 2003, a group of 20 alpinists successfully navigated to the crash site. Upon reaching the area, they discovered debris that confirmed the location of the accident involving flight EH232. The investigation concluded that the primary reason for the accident was controlled flight into terrain.