Accident Overview
On an unspecified date, a twin-engine aircraft departed Bogotá-El Dorado Airport at 0600 LT on an ambulance flight to Araracuara, State of Caquetá. The aircraft carried two doctors, one patient, and two pilots. Fifteen minutes into the flight, the crew contacted ATC, reported problems, and was cleared to divert to Villavicencio.
Crash Details
While on approach to Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area parallel to a road. The impact was followed by a fire that engulfed the aircraft. The aircraft was destroyed by the post-crash fire, and all five occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation identified multiple factors contributing to the accident:
- Lack of technical knowledge published in the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) for executing appropriate actions during an engine failure in flight, combined with unwise decisions by the crew.
- The crew's haste to land led to uncoordinated actions and a lack of assertiveness in executing manufacturer procedures, navigation charts, and published approach procedures.
- Omissions, reactions, and deviations that were inappropriate for conducting the flight safely to the runway.
- Turning toward the runway on the same side as the inoperative (critical) engine while applying maximum power on the operational engine during an unstabilized approach, resulting in loss of control at low altitude.