Date & Time:
Oct 24, 1990 at 0158 LT
Type of aircraft:
Yakovlev Yak-40
Operator:
Registration:
CU-T1202
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Camagüey – Santiago de Cuba
MSN:
9 63 14 49
YOM:
1976
Flight number:
CU2886
Country:
Cuba
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
24
Pax fatalities:
9
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
11
Captain / Total hours on type:
2708
Copilot / Total hours on type:
289
Aircraft flight hours:
14068
Aircraft flight cycles:
14011
Circumstances:
The descent to Santiago de Cuba-Antonio Maceo Airport was started by night and poor weather conditions. As the crew was unable to locate the airport, he decided to abandon the approach and initiated a go-around. Few minutes later, a second attempt to land was also abandoned. During the third approach completed under VFR mode, the crew failed to realize he was not properly aligned when the aircraft struck at a speed of 280 km/h the top of a hill and crashed 4 km short of runway 27. Two crew members and 9 passengers were killed while 20 other occupants were rescued, among them 12 were seriously injured.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew decided to complete the third approach under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions (IMC). This caused the aircraft to deviate from the approach path and to descent below the minimum prescribed altitude. The wreckage was found one km to the right of the extended centerline.
