Port-au-Prince - Santiago de Cuba - Havana

On November 4, 2010 at 05:51 PM, Port-au-Prince - Santiago de Cuba - Havana experienced a crash involving ATR72-200, operated by Aerocaribbean, with the event recorded near Guasimal Sancti Spíritus.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

68 people were known to be on board, 68 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 7, crew fatalities: 7, passengers on board: 61, passenger fatalities: 61, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The twin engine aircraft departed Port-au-Prince on a schedule service to Havana with an intermediate stop in Santiago de Cuba, carrying 61 passengers and 7 crew members. The airplane departed Santiago de Cuba-Antonio Maceo Airport at 1644LT and the crew was cleared to climb to his assigned altitude of 18,000 feet. At 1736LT, the crew was cleared to climb to 20,000 feet. During the climb, the Total Air Temperature (TAT) dropped from +3°C to -1°C and the aircraft' speed dropped from 196 knots to 176 knots. At 17:44, at FL200, the ICING caution light illuminated on the instrument panel with an associated chime. This was followed by the illumination of the AOA light several seconds later. At 17:46 the crew toggled the anti-icing switches on the overhead panel and contacted Havana Control to request permission to descent to FL160 due to icing. However, the controller reported conflicting traffic 30 miles ahead. The crew then requested vectors to enable them to descend. Clearance was given to change course from 295° to 330°. At 17:49, with an airspeed of 156 kts, the airplane commenced a right bank. Then suddenly the airplane banked left and right before banking 90° to the left again with a steep nose down attitude. The crew struggled to control the plane, which was banking turning and losing altitude. Out of control, the aircraft crashed in a wooded an hilly terrain. All 68 occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration CU-T1549, MSN 459, year of manufacture 1995.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 21.7401°, -79.4637°.