As a result of the accident, out of 129 people (between passengers and crew), 108 perished and 21 survived, rescued by nearby fishing boats.

The accident was attributed to the flight deck crew believing they were nearer to the runway than they were, and therefore making a premature descent.

The initial part of the approach was instrumental until the flight was 2 miles (3.2 km) from Palermo International Airport.

The crew then stopped the descent at 150 feet above the sea, as though trying to locate the final approach area, thinking they were close to the runway because of the airport lights.

According to what was later stated by some pilots, the accident could have been caused by an optical illusion ("black hole approach") that would have drawn in error the pilots: at night, with particular weather conditions (low altitude cloud cover), runway lights can be reflected on clouds and water, giving the impression that the runway is a few hundred meters before its real location.