Aerolineas Argentinas

The departure from Corrientes was delayed due to poor weather conditions. Shortly after takeoff from Corrientes-Camba Punta in the evening, while climbing, the crew encountered very bad weather conditions with CB's and turbulences. The aircraft bank left to 90° then nosed down to 45° and plunged before crashing at a speed of 400 km/h into a palms area located near Loma Alta, some 35 km southwest of Corrientes. The wreckage was found the next morning. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 37 occupants have been killed.

The crew was completing an approach under VFR mode by night when the airplane struck the ground 3 km short of runway 19 threshold. On impact, it lost its undercarriage and slid for 200 meters before coming to rest. All 28 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The descent to Bahía Blanca-Comandante Espora Airport was started by night. The crew was informed by ATC that the visibility was reduced to 200 meters due to fog which means below minima. The captain decided to attempt an approach to runway 34. After passing the middle marker, he was able to see the runway lights so he decided to continue the approach under visual mode. Shortly later, he lost visual contact when the airplane struck the ground about 25 meters short of runway threshold and 200 meters to the left of the extended centerline. On impact, the right wing was torn off and the airplane lost its undercarriage before coming to rest. All 39 occupants were evacuated safely.

Flight AR-527/03 was a scheduled domestic flight from Mendoza to Buenos Aires Aeroparque, Argentina, via Pajas Blancas Airport. The flight plan for the trip was prepared in Mendoza by the airline's dispatcher and was approved by the chief of the Operations Office as well as by the Northwest Regional Control Area. The aircraft was cleared to fly at 8700 m with reporting points along the airway at Chanar-Pampa Salinas and at the entrance to the Terminal Area. The aircraft took off from Mendoza at 1750 hours and made its first contact by radio with Pajas Blancas Airport control tower at 1840 hours. Six minutes later it was cleared for an instrument approach to runway 17. The approach was initiated at a height of 1500 m which was contrary to the regulation height of 3300 m prescribed for jet aircraft. A magnetic heading of 400 was flown on the outbound track and the aircraft was above the cloud layer at a height of 1054 m above the ground. After the time prescribed in the airline's approach chart had elapsed, a left hand turn was initiated, to intercept QDM 200 degrees. During the turn the height was maintained with landing gear extended, flaps at 20° and an indicated airspeed of 140 kt. On completion of the turn a magnetic heading of 200° was flown towards the beacon, and the aircraft resumed its descent until intercepting VOR radial 168. At this point the pilot thought he was 250 m above the ground and, still flying on instruments, he intercepted the VOR and changed course to 170 degrees. When he did not make visual contact with the runway at a height of 150 m he started a go-around, climbing on a magnetic heading of 105 degrees. He then initiated a right-hand turn to intercept the radio beacon again and asked for another clearance from the tower to come in again. He flew over the beacon at a height of 1050 m, then followed a magnetic heading of 40° during about 2 min 30 sec and, while still descending, initiated a left-hand turn until he obtained QDM 200. The landing gear was extended and locked, flap setting 20°, and a normal descent at 500 ft/min. was maintained. He intercepted VOR radial 168, announced that he was at 160 m and then initiated a turn to align himself with runway 17. Shortly thereafter the aircraft's port wing struck some trees five meters high and the port landing gear came into contact with the ground. The pilot-in-command reduced power and pushed the control column forward. After having traveled during approximately 60 m on its port landing gear, the aircraft rolled on its whole undercarriage another 700 m. At 390 m from initial impact the port wing struck some other trees, the fuel tanks burst out and fire broke out. The aircraft then came into contact with the General Belgrano Railway tracks, broke its undercarriage, tearing away 25 m of railway rails and finally came to rest 280 m before the threshold of runway 17.

Less than two minutes after takeoff from Campinas-Viracopos Airport, at an altitude of 100 meters, the airplane struck trees, stalled and crashed in eucalyptus forest. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 52 occupants were killed.

The four engine aircraft left Buenos Aires-Ezeiza-Ministro Pistarini Airport at 0731LT bound for Comodoro Rivadavia. While cruising at an altitude of 4,800 meters, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a low pressure area and severe turbulences. The airplane went out of control, entered a dive, partially disintegrated and eventually crashed in a field located 12 km west of Pardo. All 67 occupants were killed.

While in cruising altitude on a flight from Asunción to Buenos Aires, the airplane christened 'Mariano Moreno' suffered a major issue on engine number three. Shortly later, the airplane disintegrated in the air, dove into the ground and crashed in an open field located 12 km northeast of Salto. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 31 occupants were killed. Debris were scattered on more than five km.

The crew was completing a local training flight at Buenos Aires-Ezeiza-Ministro Pistarini. Following several maneuvers in the area, the crew started a new approach. The aircraft landed hard, causing the undercarriage to puncture the wings and the fuel tanks. The aircraft bounced then swung on runway before coming to rest in flames. While all six crew members were slightly injured, the aircraft was destroyed.

After takeoff from runway 18 at Mendoza-El Plumerillo, the crew climbed to the altitude of 6,000 feet when the hydraulic pressure on the right engine failed. The crew decided to return to Mendoza for a safe landing but was unable to lower the gear. Shortly later, as a propeller was windmilling, causing drag, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing in a field. The airplane crash landed in a vineyard located few km from the airfield and came to rest. There were no casualties but the airplane was written off.

On final approach to Asunción-Silvio Pettirossi Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with limited visibility. The four engine aircraft was too low, hit trees and struck the ground. On impact, the undercarriage were sheared off and the airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest in a wooded area. A crew member and a passenger were killed while all 48 other occupants were evacuated, some of them wounded. The aircraft was written off.