Scheduled Revenue Flight

It was determined that, at an altitude of 400 meters while climbing, the airplane struck a flock of migratory birds that struck the windshield that broke instantly, killing both pilots. It was reported that many birds were migrating in this region, at any time during this period of the year.

The pilots were unable to distinguish the mountain due to low visibility caused by night and poor weather conditions. While slightly off track on approach, the airplane struck a mountain slope and was destroyed. The accident is considered to be the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain.

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. It was suspected that the loss of control was the consequence of a spatial disorientation on part of the pilot-in-command. No official investigation report was published either by the Venezuelan Authorities or by the French Government. All official documents referring to this tragedy are classified 'secret-defense' by the French Authorities until 2029. Nevertheless, in a classified document dated August 7, 1970, the French Bureau of Investigations (BEA-Bureau Enquêtes-Accidents) asked the French government to make a contact through the diplomatic way with the Venezuelan Authorities, to establish any evidence relating to suspicious traces found on clothes and some debris, some of them coming from the left main gear. On 17 November 1970, the Central Armament Laboratory of Paris confirmed that acetone washes were carried out on certain parts such as the fuselage, the bottom floor of the landing hatch and the landing gear. On the neighboring parts of the left main gear, it has been possible to demonstrate the presence of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerine and a nitro derivative in the form of traces that could come from the decomposition of dinitrotoluene or possibly trinitrotoluene. Consequently, in a letter dated November 27, 1970, the Chief of the General Inspectorate of the French Civil Aviation confirms in an official letter that the technical analysis carried out by the various laboratories highlighted a high probability that the destruction in flight of the aircraft should be attributable to an act of malicious intent. Indeed, the chemical and metallurgical analysis showed that a powerful explosive device may have been placed in the well zone of the left main gear.

The crew was flying under VFR mode in IMC conditions when the airplane struck the mountain.

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. The FDR was found undamaged but the British AAIB engineers reported it was unreadable as the data consisted only of a stream of alternating ones and zeros. Apparently there had been a fault in one of the logic units of the system, something which could not be detected from the flight deck. No readable data could be reconstructed from this. Nevertheless, it is believed that the flying crew led the aircraft descending below the minimum safe altitude while still under control.