Narrative:
Flight 222 to Quito departed Guayaquil at 08:06. Some 13 minutes later the crew reported an ETA over the Manta intersection of 08:41. One minute later the pilot reported at 4000 feet and said they were maintaining this altitude. Further climb clearance was requested and which was granted at 08:40. At 08:41 the crew reported overhead the Manta beacon at 5000 feet and a Quito ETA of 09:16. Last contact with the flight was when it was cleared to climb above the clouds. At an altitude of 7500 feet the aircraft flew into Mount Illiniza in the Chugchilan mountain range.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot did not follow he 358deg Guayaquil-Esmeraldas track, authorised for instrument flight, until clear of cloud, but probably assumed a heading of 25deg as soon as he left Guayaquil, in order to fly the most direct route between Guayaquil and Quito. In so doing while on instruments, he deviated from the Guayaquil-Esmeraldas track at too low an altitude to clear the Chugchilan range, before him with an adequate safety margin."
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 7 April 1958 |
| Type: |  Douglas C-47A-80-DL (DC-3) |
| Operator: | AREA Ecuador |
| Registration: | HC-ACL |
| MSN: | 19779 |
| First flight: | 1944 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 29 / Occupants: 29 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 32 / Occupants: 32 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | Cerro Illiniza ( Ecuador)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Guayaquil-Simon Bolivar Airport (GYE/SEGU), Ecuador |
| Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO/SEQU), Ecuador | |
| Flightnumber: | 222 |
Flight 222 to Quito departed Guayaquil at 08:06. Some 13 minutes later the crew reported an ETA over the Manta intersection of 08:41. One minute later the pilot reported at 4000 feet and said they were maintaining this altitude. Further climb clearance was requested and which was granted at 08:40. At 08:41 the crew reported overhead the Manta beacon at 5000 feet and a Quito ETA of 09:16. Last contact with the flight was when it was cleared to climb above the clouds. At an altitude of 7500 feet the aircraft flew into Mount Illiniza in the Chugchilan mountain range.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot did not follow he 358deg Guayaquil-Esmeraldas track, authorised for instrument flight, until clear of cloud, but probably assumed a heading of 25deg as soon as he left Guayaquil, in order to fly the most direct route between Guayaquil and Quito. In so doing while on instruments, he deviated from the Guayaquil-Esmeraldas track at too low an altitude to clear the Chugchilan range, before him with an adequate safety margin."
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest, Circular 59-AN/54 (118-120)Photos
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 Guayaquil-Simon Bolivar Airport to Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport as the crow flies is 271 km (170 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
Distance from Guayaquil-Simon Bolivar Airport to Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport as the crow flies is 271 km (170 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from 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.
languages: 
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Douglas DC-3
- ca 13.000 built
- 3397th loss
- 1295th fatal accident
- 9th worst accident (at the time)
- 29th worst accident (currently)
Ecuador- 2nd worst accident (at the time)
- 11th worst accident (currently)
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