On January 6, 1996, an Antonov AN-32 (registration OB-1604) operated by Imperial Air was involved in an aviation accident near Chachapoyas, Peru during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A hard landing caused the right main landing gear to collapse, leading to a runway excursion and fire. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft experienced a gear collapse and subsequent fire after a hard landing at Chachapoyas Airport, resulting in no injuries.
What happened
During an arrival at Chachapoyas Airport, an aircraft experienced a heavy touchdown on the runway. The impact of the landing caused the right main landing gear to fail, which subsequently led to the right wing making contact with the runway surface. Following the structural failure of the gear, the aircraft lost directional control and drifted off the runway, coming to a stop several dozen meters away from the paved surface.
Upon veering off the runway, the aircraft caught fire. Despite the intensity of the flames and the total destruction of the airframe, all 44 occupants managed to evacuate the wreckage. There were no injuries reported among the passengers or crew following the incident.
Findings
The primary sequence of events began with a hard landing.
The collapse of the right main landing gear was a direct consequence of the landing force.
The subsequent fire occurred after the aircraft exited the runway environment.
Probable cause
A hard landing caused the right main landing gear to collapse, leading to a runway excursion and fire.