Status:	Final
Date:	11 DEC 1999
Time:	10:18
Type:	British Aerospace ATP
Operator:	SATA Air Açores
Registration:	CS-TGM
C/n / msn:	2030
First flight:	1990
Total airframe hrs:	11305
Cycles:	23584
Engines:	2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW126
Crew:	Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Passengers:	Fatalities: 31 / Occupants: 31
Total:	Fatalities: 35 / Occupants: 35
Airplane damage:	Written off
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Sao Jorge Island, Açores (Portugal)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Ponta Delgada-Nordela Airport, Azores (PDL/LPPD), Portugal
Destination airport:	Horta Airport (HOR/LPHR), Portugal
Flightnumber:	530M

Narrative:
SATA flight 530 departed from Ponta Delgada (S.Miguel Island) at about 09:30 for a flight to Horta (Faial Island). The weather en route was affected by a frontal system with scattered cumulonimbus, heavy showers, turbulence and strong winds from southwest, so the crew decided to alter their flight plan, opting for a route that included approach descent over the channel between Pico and Sao Jorge islands to intercept the 250 deg VOR/VFL Horta radial. Horta tower initially cleared the flight to FL100. The crew then requested and were cleared to descent to 5000 feet with the instruction of maintaining visual contact with Pico Island. During the descent heavy rain and turbulence were encountered. Seven minutes after initiating descent, the ATP flew into the north hillside of Pico da Esperança mountain (1067m high) on Sao Jorge Island in IMC. GPWS alerted the crew 17 seconds before impact.

CAUSAS:
A Comissão de Investigação determinou que as causas para a ocorrência do acidente foram:
- Não respeito pela altitude de segurança - a colisão ocorre em rota, em voo controlado contra o terreno;
- Navegação estimada imprecisa;
- Não utilização correcta do radar de tempo, como facilidade adicional de navegação;
- Falta de verificação cruzada das indicações do rádio altímetro e dos altímetros barométricos.

FACTORES CONTRIBUTIVOS:
- As condições meteorológicas na área do acidente;
- Inexistência de meios autónomos de navegação a bordo da aeronave, que pudessem determinar a sua posição com maior precisão;

Events:

Sources:
» GPIAA RELATÓRIO Nº 21/ACCID/GPS/99
» ICAO Adrep