Accident description
Last updated: 20 June 2013
| Status: | Preliminary - official |
| Date: | 18 MAY 2011 |
| Time: | 20:50 |
| Type: |  Saab 340A |
| Operator: | SOL Líneas Aéreas |
| Registration: | LV-CEJ |
| C/n / msn: | 25 |
| First flight: | 1985-04-25 (26 years ) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 41422 |
| Cycles: | 44477 |
| Engines: | 2 General Electric CT7-5A2 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 19 / Occupants: 19 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 22 / Occupants: 22 |
| Airplane damage: | Destroyed |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 20 km (12.5 mls) N of Prahuaniyeu, RN (Argentina)
 |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Neuquén Airport, NE (NQN/SAZN), Argentina |
| Comodoro Rivadavia Airport, CB (CRD/SAVC), Argentina | |
| Flightnumber: | 5428 |
A Saab 340A passenger plane, registered LV-CEJ, was destroyed when it crashed 20 km north of Prahuaniyeu, Argentina. There were 19 passengers and three crew members on board. There were no survivors.
The airplane operated on SOL Líneas Aéreas flight 5428 from Córdoba (COR) to Mendoza (MDZ), Neuquén (NQN) and Comodoro Rivadavia (CRD). The flight departed Neuquén at 20:08 for the final leg of the flight. When flying at FL179, the aircraft began to pick ice. The copilot radioed air traffic control for permission to descent. The flight was then cleared down to FL140. However, while descending the crew members commented on the growing ice accretion on the wind shield and wings. At FL140 the airspeed dropped until the airplane stalled. The pilots attempted to regain control of the plane, but failed. The airplane impacted terrain and burned.
CAUSE (translated from Spanish):
While on a regular domestic flight, during the cruise phase, the aircraft entered into a stall with subsequent loss of control, and subsequent descent and impact with the ground and fire, due to severe aircraft icing.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
1) Probably: inadequate flight planning.
2) Probably: inadequate operational decision making on the part of the pilot.
3) Probably: loss of situational awareness from the flight crew.
4) Probably: complacency on the part of the cockpit crew. Events:
Sources:
» Administración Nacional de Aviación Civil (ANAC)
» SOL Líneas Aéreas
Official accident investigation report
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Photos
Aircraft history
| date | registration | operator | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 APR 1985 | SE-E25 | Saab | first flight |
| 30 MAY 1985 | N344CA | Comair | delivered |
| OCT 1996 | N344CA | Chicago Express Airlines | leased |
| DEC 1996 | N344CA | Express Airlines I | leased |
| FEB 1997 | N112PX | Express Airlines I | new registration |
| MAY 2002 | N112PX | Pinnacle Airlines | airline renamed |
| 17 JUL 2003 | N112PX | Fina Air | leased |
| JUL 2004 | N112PX | Fina Air | grounded when AOC of Fina Air was revoked |
| 25 MAY 2006 | N112PX | RegionsAir | |
| MAR 2007 | N112PX | RegionsAir | stored |
| 30 JUL 2010 | LV-CEJ | SOL Líneas Aéreas | bought |
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 Neuquén Airport, NE to Comodoro Rivadavia Airport, CB as the crow flies is 760 km (475 miles).
Distance from Neuquén Airport, NE to Comodoro Rivadavia Airport, CB as the crow flies is 760 km (475 miles).
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.
Argentina