Investigation Summary
The aircraft was on the second leg of a multi-stop journey from Buenos Aires to New York. After a stopover at Viracopos, the Comet 4 departed in night conditions with broken stratocumulus clouds. Evidence from the wreckage indicated the first officer was in the left seat, suggesting an instructional flight was in progress. During the initial climb, the aircraft failed to maintain its climb gradient and descended into a eucalyptus grove approximately 2 kilometers from the runway. The impact triggered a massive explosion of the fuel tanks, leaving no survivors among the 52 people on board.
Final Conclusions
The Brazilian Air Ministry determined the probable cause was the pilot-in-command's failure to properly supervise or brief the co-pilot, who was presumed to be under instruction. The Argentinian government added that the crew failed to operate under IFR despite night conditions requiring it, and failed to follow the specific climb procedures for the Comet 4. Both nations agreed that a lack of vigilance by the captain was a primary contributing factor.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
Aerolineas Argentinas Flight 322 Aftermath Footage — Historical footage and details regarding the crash of Flight 322, which lost altitude and collided with eucalyptus trees shortly after takeoff, killing all 52 on board.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Climb Procedure
The specific pitch and power settings required for the Comet 4 to safely transition from takeoff to sustained climb.
Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)
Regulations governing flight by reference to instruments, which the crew failed to follow during the night departure.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a de Havilland Comet 4, the final and successful production variant of the world's first commercial jetliner series.
- 02The aircraft's Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) was 6430.
- 03The first officer was found in the left (Captain's) seat, indicating he was likely flying the aircraft under instruction.
- 04Weather at the time included 7/8 broken stratocumulus at 1,300 feet and overcast altostratus at 6,900 feet.
- 05The crash site was located approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the airport.
- 06The flight was a multi-stop service from Buenos Aires to New York, with the next scheduled stop being Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Instructional Supervision
The investigation highlighted the critical need for pilot-in-command vigilance and proper briefing when providing flight instruction during operational passenger flights.