A dc8 or 707 took off out of South America. After the aircraft was washed they failed to remove the tape over the static system. After take off they noticed the problem. Instead of staying in slight of the lights of the city they went off into the dark. Lost all visual reference and ended up in the sea with a total loss of life.
Key word here. VISUAL.
Cheers.
Learn from the past. Prevent before it happens again
You refer to Aeroperu flight 603, a 757.
That flight could have ended up different by the use of the phrase "Aviate, navigate, communicate"
But, you suggest that if they could see lights and could stay visual, they would have been fine.
MDX reported on several occasions, that he could see the lights of various towns. That would suggest to me, that he was already visual.