Narrative:
Falcon LV-WLH operated on a cargo flight from Córdoba (COR) to Tucumán (TUC) and Salta (SLA). The aircraft took off from Tucumán at 21:45. At 22:01 the crew reported at FL180 over reporting point PONPI, 55 nm Salta. Two minutes later the flight was cleared to descend to the cloud level. At 22:08 the crew reported at 6500ft on top of the clouds in visual conditions. Shortly afterward the airplane flew into the side of Cerró Chivilme at an altitude of 6970 feet.
CAUSA PROBABLE: "Colisión con una montaña durante el descenso previo al aterrizaje, debido a efectuar un procedimiento de aproximación por instrumentos distintos al vigente en el aeropuerto de destino con error de distancias y alturas.
Son factores concurrentes:
- Usar el GPS como instrumento primario de navegación, cuando debe ser usado como instrumento suplementario o de referencia.
- Falta de control sobre los instrumentos y procedimientos, por deficiente coordinación de cabina (CRM).
- Colocación de un punto ficticio en el GPS con un nombre F-SAL que se confunde fácilmente con SAL, sigla del aeropuerto Salta."
PROBABLE CAUSE (translated from Spanish):
Collision with a mountain during the descent prior to landing, while flying an instrument approach procedure other than the existing airport destination with errors in distances and heights.
Contributing factors were:
- Use of GPS as the primary instrument of navigation, when it should be used as a supplementary tool or reference.
- Lack of control over the instruments and procedures, poor CRM.
- Placement of a fictitious point in the GPS with the name "F-SAL" which is easily confused with "SALT", the acronym of the Salta airport.
accident date: 07-02-1997
type: Dassault Falcon 20
registration: LV-WLH
accident date: 07-02-1997
type: Dassault Falcon 20
registration: LV-WLH
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 7 February 1997 |
| Time: | 10:11 |
| Type: |  Dassault Falcon 20C |
| Operator: | Air Service |
| Registration: | LV-WLH |
| MSN: | 34 |
| First flight: | 1966 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 15118 |
| Engines: | 2 General Electric CF700-2D2 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 36,4 km (22.8 mls) SW of Salta International Airport, SA (SLA) ( Argentina)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Tucumán-Teniente General Benjamín Matienzo Airport, TU (TUC/SANT), Argentina |
| Salta-Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport, SA (SLA/SASA), Argentina |
Falcon LV-WLH operated on a cargo flight from Córdoba (COR) to Tucumán (TUC) and Salta (SLA). The aircraft took off from Tucumán at 21:45. At 22:01 the crew reported at FL180 over reporting point PONPI, 55 nm Salta. Two minutes later the flight was cleared to descend to the cloud level. At 22:08 the crew reported at 6500ft on top of the clouds in visual conditions. Shortly afterward the airplane flew into the side of Cerró Chivilme at an altitude of 6970 feet.
Probable Cause:
CAUSA PROBABLE: "Colisión con una montaña durante el descenso previo al aterrizaje, debido a efectuar un procedimiento de aproximación por instrumentos distintos al vigente en el aeropuerto de destino con error de distancias y alturas.
Son factores concurrentes:
- Usar el GPS como instrumento primario de navegación, cuando debe ser usado como instrumento suplementario o de referencia.
- Falta de control sobre los instrumentos y procedimientos, por deficiente coordinación de cabina (CRM).
- Colocación de un punto ficticio en el GPS con un nombre F-SAL que se confunde fácilmente con SAL, sigla del aeropuerto Salta."
PROBABLE CAUSE (translated from Spanish):
Collision with a mountain during the descent prior to landing, while flying an instrument approach procedure other than the existing airport destination with errors in distances and heights.
Contributing factors were:
- Use of GPS as the primary instrument of navigation, when it should be used as a supplementary tool or reference.
- Lack of control over the instruments and procedures, poor CRM.
- Placement of a fictitious point in the GPS with the name "F-SAL" which is easily confused with "SALT", the acronym of the Salta airport.
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» Junta de Investigaciones de Accidente de Aviación Civil (JIAAC), DISPOSICIÓN N° 33/97Photos
accident date: 07-02-1997
type: Dassault Falcon 20
registration: LV-WLH
accident date: 07-02-1997
type: Dassault Falcon 20
registration: LV-WLH
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 Tucumán-Teniente General Benjamín Matienzo Airport, TU to Salta-Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport, SA as the crow flies is 223 km (140 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Tucumán-Teniente General Benjamín Matienzo Airport, TU to Salta-Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport, SA as the crow flies is 223 km (140 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
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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