The plane crashed in the Fairview area near Five Points West in the Ensley neighborhood and subsequently injured four persons on the ground, as well as destroying two homes.

The cause of the crash was attributed to the captain's decision to attempt an instrument approach into severe thunderstorms resulting in a loss of control of the airplane.

Francis Fernandes, the L'Express captain at the controls of Flight 508, later said the plane experienced a "significant roll to the left" on landing approach.

Fernandes told investigators that while he and the first officer, Richard Windham,[4] tried to level the aircraft, it experienced an "extreme updraft" that pushed the plane's nose into the air.

[5] After entering a severe thunderstorm cell southwest of the airport, the crew lost directional control and was unable to recover the aircraft prior to impacting two houses in the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham at 6:11:27 pm CDT.

The formal probable cause of the accident was "the decision of the captain to initiate and continue an instrument approach into clearly identified thunderstorm activity, resulting in a loss of control of the airplane from which the flightcrew was unable to recover and subsequent collision with obstacles and the terrain.