Aviateca Flight 901 was a scheduled commercial flight operated by Aviateca, the national airline of Guatemala. The aircraft was a Boeing 727, carrying a total of 65 people, including passengers and crew. The flight took off from El Salvador's international airport, bound for Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Onboard were mostly Guatemalan citizens, along with a few foreign nationals. During its flight, the aircraft encountered adverse weather conditions, characterized by heavy rain and limited visibility. Navigational challenges compounded the danger as the flight neared its destination.

As the aircraft approached the San Vicente volcano, the pilots struggled to maintain altitude and control under the deteriorating conditions. Both the cockpit crew and onboard systems faced instrumental issues that ultimately led to a loss of situational awareness. Despite efforts to regain altitude and avoid the volcano, the aircraft tragically crashed into the slopes of the San Vicente volcano, igniting a massive fire that destroyed the plane and claimed the lives of all individuals onboard.

Rescue teams faced substantial obstacles due to the rugged terrain and poor weather, which delayed recovery efforts. Investigations followed the disaster to ascertain the causes and identify lessons learned to improve safety in future flights, particularly in areas prone to volcanic activity and severe weather.