What happened
During a night approach into Santiago de Cuba-Antonio Maceo Airport, the flight crew encountered difficult weather conditions. The initial descent was marked by low visibility, which prevented the crew from identifying the airfield. Consequently, the crew aborted the first approach and performed a go-around.
A subsequent attempt to land was also unsuccessful and resulted in another aborted approach. During a third attempt, which was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), the crew did not maintain the necessary alignment with the runway. While traveling at a speed of 280 km/h, the aircraft impacted the crest of a hill. The impact occurred approximately 4 km before reaching runway 27.
The accident resulted in 11 fatalities, including two crew members and nine passengers. Of the remaining occupants, 20 individuals were rescued, with 12 of them sustaining serious injuries.
Findings
Investigation into the event indicates that the crew failed to maintain proper alignment with the runway during the final approach attempt.