Piper PA31-325 Emergency Landing in Freire, Chile

Incident Overview and Location Details On January 20, 2025, at 18:06 local time (21:06 UTC), a Piper PA31-325 aircraft was conducting a private flight from La Araucanía Airport (SCQP) to Villarrica Aerodrome (SCVI) in Chile's La Araucanía Region. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and three passengers. During the takeoff phase from runway 19 at SCQP, the right engine (Engine No. 2) lost power for a reason that remains under investigation. The pilot declared an emergency to the control tower and attempted to maintain the aircraft's heading along the runway centerline. However, the pilot subsequently lost control, and the aircraft crashed into an agricultural property located 2,700 meters south of the runway. The crash site was situated within a private enclosure in the Comuna de Freire, at coordinates 38°7'19.35'' S, 72°39'54'' W, with an approximate elevation of 100 meters above sea level. ## Aircraft Condition and Safety Elements Upon impact, the four occupants evacuated the aircraft independently and without injury. The aircraft subsequently caught fire after fuel leaked from its tanks and came into contact with hot engine components. Investigators found the aircraft resting in an apple orchard with an average tree height of 2.50 meters, oriented at 57° NE. While the majority of the structure was destroyed by fire, the overall structural integrity was confirmed to be intact at the site. Safety belts functioned correctly, facilitating the safe evacuation of all occupants. No Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) activation was recorded. ## Technical Findings and Investigation Status Following the incident, personnel from the airport's Safety and Emergency Services (SSEI) discovered a clamp on the runway at the location where the pilot experienced the power loss. Investigators, along with the aircraft's maintenance authority, identified the part as a V-Band coupling from the right engine's turbocharger exhaust system. A specialized inspection of the fractured and detached V-Band coupling revealed that the fracture occurred in an area exhibiting severe temperature-related corrosion, characterized by a distinct texture and significant material loss in the central section of the outer band. The investigation is currently in the analysis phase to determine the definitive cause of the incident and to develop operational safety recommendations for this type of aircraft.