What happened
On August 25, 2010, at approximately 1229 UTC, a Cessna 172, registration HC-AQK, crashed near Cerro Azul, Ecuador. The aircraft was being operated by AIFA for a personal flight under visual meteorological conditions.
Shortly after departing under visual flight rules, the pilot reported an unspecified engine problem to air traffic control. The pilot provided his position to controllers before the aircraft went down. During subsequent interviews with rescuers, the pilot noted that the engine RPM had dropped from 2,300 to 2,000 RPM, after which the airplane descended into trees.
The accident resulted in 1 fatality and 2 serious injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.