Investigation Summary
The approach to San Andrés was conducted at night during an intense electrical storm with heavy rain. The Captain, who was the pilot flying, had extensive experience in turboprop aircraft but had only recently transitioned to the Boeing 737. During the final approach, the crew encountered a black hole illusion, a sensory phenomenon where a lack of peripheral visual cues over dark terrain or water causes pilots to perceive the aircraft as being higher than it actually is. This led the Captain to maintain a descent rate that placed the aircraft well below the required 3 degree glide path. Furthermore, the Captain's technique of using the runway threshold markings as a visual reference, while common in smaller turboprops, was inappropriate for the 737 due to the higher cockpit position. This resulted in the aircraft's landing gear striking the ground short of the paved surface. The impact forces caused the fuselage to fracture in two places. The investigation also highlighted deficiencies in AIRES's training programs, noting that the Captain's transition training had not adequately addressed the specific visual requirements and risks associated with landing a large jet in low-contrast environments.
Final Conclusions
The Security Council of Aeronáutica Civil concluded on 15 July 2011 that the primary cause was the execution of the final approach below the glide path due to a crew error of judgment. Contributing factors included the black hole illusion aggravated by heavy rain, the Captain's reliance on visual references more suited to turboprop aircraft, and a lack of documented corrective actions in the airline's training records regarding the Captain's flight technique.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
The Weather Was Bad… But That Wasn't the Whole Story — A detailed look at the crash of AIRES Flight 8250, exploring how a combination of weather, sensory illusions, and pilot experience led to a Boeing 737 breaking apart on landing.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Visual Approach References
The crew relied on visual cues for the final descent; the Captain used runway threshold markings which led to a lower-than-intended flight path for a jet of this size.
Flight Recorders
Both the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) were recovered and used to confirm the aircraft was functional until impact.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a Boeing 737-700 (MSN 32416/1270) originally delivered to EasyJet in 2003.
- 02The Captain had over 12 years of experience with the airline but was relatively new to the Boeing 737 type.
- 03The airport was not equipped with Doppler radar to detect wind shear at the time of the accident.
- 04Initial reports incorrectly attributed the crash to a lightning strike or a sudden downdraft.
- 05The investigation found the aircraft's maintenance log was fully up to date.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Crew Retraining
Aeronáutica Civil recommended the retraining of flight crews specifically focusing on night approach illusions and jet-specific landing techniques.
Training Program Audit
The investigation prompted a review of the airline's training records to ensure corrective actions for pilot techniques are properly documented and addressed.