Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 46

Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 46

An Austral Lineas Aereas McDonnell Douglas MD-81, similar to the one involved in the accident
accident
Date	June 12, 1988
Summary	Undershot the runway due to pilot error
Site	Near Libertador General José de San Martín Airport, Posadas, Argentina
Aircraft
Aircraft type	McDonnell Douglas MD-81
Operator	Austral Líneas Aéreas
Registration	N1003G
Flight origin	Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, Buenos Aires
Stopover	Resistencia International Airport
Destination	Posadas Libertador General José de San Martín Airport
Passengers	16
Crew	6
Fatalities	22
Injuries	0
Survivors	0

Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 46 was an Argentine scheduled domestic flight from Buenos Aires to Posadas, via Resistencia, that undershot the runway at Libertador General Jose de San Martin Airport in Posadas on June 12, 1988 in conditions of poor visibility. All 22 passengers and crew on board were killed in the crash.

Accident sequence

Flight 46, operated by a McDonnell Douglas MD-81, departed Buenos Aires' Aeroparque Jorge Newbery to Resistencia at 7:04 local time, and departed from Resistencia to Posadas at 8:40 after a 20-minute stopover. At 9:09, the crew of Flight 46 made radio contact with Posadas air traffic control, and seven minutes later, the flight was cleared for an approach to Runway 01. Shortly after, the aircraft struck the top of a eucalyptus tree and crashed three kilometres short of the runway. All on board perished.^[1]

Investigation

The investigation into the disaster concluded that the main factor in the crash was that the crew attempted to land below the indicated minimum weather conditions for the instrument approach.^[1]

References