Date & Time: Dec 16, 2005 at 1150 LT
Operator:
Registration:
TI-AZQ
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
San José - Tamarindo
MSN:
805
YOM:
1984
Flight number:
5C330
Country:
Costa Rica
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
5297
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from San José-Tobías Bolaños Airport, the crew started the descent to Tamarindo Airport runway 07. On short final, at a height of about 500 feet, control was lost and the aircraft crashed in a wooded area located 2 km short of runway. All eight occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a loss of control on short final following the combination of the following factors:
- An elevator cable probably broke away due to a progressive wear combined with a damaged pulley,
- The proximity of the terrain,
- The low speed of the aircraft,
- The lack of crew training in such situation,
- The loss of control of the aircraft occurred at a critical phase of the flight, initially caused by a mechanical failure and later to human factors.