Investigation Summary
The accident occurred during the second leg of a multi-stop route from Miami to San José. After a two-hour delay in Guatemala City, the flight encountered severe weather near San Salvador. The crew opted to deviate from Airway G346 to avoid thunderstorms and attempted to intercept the ILS for Runway 07 from a non-standard direction. During this maneuver, there was significant ambiguity between the crew and the controller regarding the aircraft's actual position. The controller, José Alberto Chávez, assigned a descent to 5,000 feet without confirming the aircraft had cleared the mountainous terrain of the San Vicente volcano. The Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) sounded shortly before impact, and although the crew applied full power, they were unable to clear the slope. The investigation highlighted a breakdown in Crew Resource Management (CRM), specifically noting that the First Officer did not assertively challenge the Captain's decisions despite concerns about their position.
Final Conclusions
The Direccion General De Transporte Aereo concluded the primary cause was the crew's lack of situational awareness and their decision to descend below the Minimum Sector Altitude (MSA) while off a published transition. A critical contributing factor was the air traffic controller's issuance of a descent clearance that failed to provide terrain clearance, compounded by the crew's failure to clearly communicate their deviation. The investigation also cited ineffective CRM within Aviateca and the First Officer's lack of assertiveness as contributing factors.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Axel Byron Miranda Herrera, a former Guatemalan Air Force pilot.
First Officer
Víctor Francisco Sandoval Salguero, a former Guatemalan Air Force pilot.
Systems & Failure Modes
GPWS
The Ground Proximity Warning System alerted the crew to the rising terrain, but the warning occurred too late for the aircraft to clear the volcano.
ILS
The crew was attempting to intercept the Instrument Landing System for Runway 07 from a non-standard approach path.
Interesting Facts
- 01The accident is the deadliest aviation disaster in the history of El Salvador.
- 02The aircraft struck the volcano at approximately 5,900 feet, with the main wreckage site located at an altitude of 5,773 feet (1,760m) MSL.
- 03The aircraft was only eight years old at the time of the accident, having been manufactured in 1987.
- 04Among the victims were the Danish and Brazilian ambassadors to Nicaragua.
- 05The flight was a multi-leg international service: Miami – Guatemala City – San Salvador – Managua – San José.
Safety Actions & Advisories
CRM Training Overhaul
The investigation recommended that Aviateca implement a more effective Crew Resource Management (CRM) program to ensure better communication and assertiveness in the cockpit.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
ATC Responsibility Dispute
Reference ↗While the final accident report cited the controller's issuance of an unsafe altitude as a factor, a Salvadoran court in 2003 ruled that the controllers on duty were not legally responsible for the accident.