ASN Aircraft accident CASA C-212 Aviocar 200 TI-SAB San José-Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Monday 15 January 1990
Time:08:29
Type:Silhouette image of generic C212 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
CASA C-212 Aviocar 200
Operator:Servicios Aéreos Nacionales - SANSA
Registration: TI-SAB
MSN: 163
First flight: 1980-05-06 (9 years 9 months)
Total airframe hrs:3589
Cycles:7217
Engines: 2 Garrett TPE331-10-511C
Crew:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 20 / Occupants: 20
Total:Fatalities: 23 / Occupants: 23
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:16 km (10 mls) SSE of San José-Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) (   Costa Rica)
Crash site elevation: 2200 m (7218 feet) amsl
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:San José-Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO/MROC), Costa Rica
Destination airport:Palmar Sur Airport (PMZ/MRPM), Costa Rica
Flightnumber: 32
Narrative:
A CASA C-212 Aviocar was destroyed when it flew into the side of a mountain at an elevation of 2200 m while on a domestic Costa Rican flight from San José-Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) to Palmar Sur Airport (PMZ). All three crew members and twenty passengers were killed in the accident.
SANSA Flight 32 received clearance for a runway 07 departure at 08:23. The controller reported winds from 100 degrees at 30 knots and cleared the flight to climb to 5500 feet after takeoff. The CASA took off at 08:25 and climbed towards a mountainous area, shrouded by clouds. Immediately after takeoff the crew received clearance to climb to 8500 feet. The airplane continued to climb but flew into the side of a wooded mountainside at an elevation of 2200 m (7200 feet).

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Investigating Commission determined that the probable cause of the accident was the failure to comply with the flight plan initially proposed to Air Traffic Control and to continue flying on a course that would lead the aircraft to enter IMC conditions, while flying under VFR flight rules; without having foreseen the minimum safety standards for the conditions prevailing in the place where the flight was conducted. This action could have been influenced by fatigue and lack of motivation.
Contributing to the accident was the deficient operations management and the lack of a flight safety program on the part of the operator".

Accident investigation:

Investigating agency: DGAC Costa Rica
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: final report
Download report: Final report

Classification:
VFR flight in IMC
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain

Sources:
» ICAO Circular 263-AN/157 (1-46)


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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from San José-Juan Santamaria International Airport to Palmar Sur Airport as the crow flies is 141 km (88 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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CASA 212

  • 436+ built
  • 27th loss
  • 19th fatal accident
  • The worst accident (at the time)
  • 5th worst accident (currently)
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 Costa Rica
  • 2nd worst accident
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