Investigation Summary
The flight originated in Comodoro Rivadavia and completed its first leg to Villa Reynolds without incident. During the stopover, a significant thunderstorm front was identified along the planned route to Córdoba. Although the flight was nearly cancelled due to the weather, the crew decided to proceed following pressure from the passengers, who were traveling to a military aviation school graduation. To avoid the storm, the pilots modified their flight plan to fly south of the front, passing over the city of Río Cuarto at a lower altitude than originally planned. This tactical deviation placed the aircraft in a region of high terrain without adequate vertical clearance. At approximately 8:30 pm local time, the aircraft disappeared from radar. Witnesses in the area reported seeing the Fokker flying at a very low altitude shortly before an explosion was seen on the mountainside. The wreckage was located on the steep slopes of Cerro Los Linderos, and the recovery operation was severely hampered by the remote location and continuing adverse weather, taking rescuers over eight hours to reach the site.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause of the accident was human error. The inquiry found that the flight should not have departed Villa Reynolds given the approaching thunderstorm front. Furthermore, once airborne, the flight crew failed to maintain a safe altitude for the specific terrain along their modified route, leading to a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Flight Planning / Navigation
The crew modified their route and altitude mid-flight to avoid weather, which led to the aircraft entering mountainous terrain at an altitude below the peaks.
Terrain Awareness
The aircraft was not equipped with modern Ground Proximity Warning Systems (GPWS) that might have provided sufficient warning of the rising terrain at the low altitude selected by the crew.
Interesting Facts
- 01The flight was a military charter carrying soldiers and their families to the 25th anniversary celebration of the Argentinian Air Force Academy in Córdoba.
- 02The aircraft was a Fokker F27 Friendship 400M manufactured in 1981, with Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 10619.
- 03The aircraft struck the slope of Mt San Agustin (Cerro Los Linderos) at an altitude of 8,000 feet (approx. 2,438 meters), about 300 meters below the summit.
- 04The crew consisted of five members of the Argentine Air Force.
- 05There is conflicting data regarding the number of children on board; Wikipedia reports 13, while BAAA reports 20.
- 06A 5-meter tall cross and memorial plaque were later installed at the crash site.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Operational Weather Minimums
The investigation emphasized the necessity of adhering to weather-related ground delays rather than attempting to navigate around severe storm fronts at low altitudes in mountainous regions.