Accident Summary
A twin-engine airplane operating a private flight from Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert Airport to Contadora Island experienced a runway excursion after landing. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, but all six occupants—one pilot and five passengers—escaped unhurt.
Sequence of Events
The flight departed at 0740 local time and proceeded uneventfully. The pilot initiated an approach to runway 35 and landed at an estimated speed of 92 knots. After touchdown, the pilot began braking when the airplane started to veer to the left. The left main landing gear tire struck an element of the runway edge lighting system, causing the tire to deflate. The aircraft continued to veer left as the end of the runway approached. The pilot then decided to veer off the runway to the left, and the airplane came to rest after colliding with trees.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the cause of the accident was the impact of the left main landing gear tire against the runway edge light, which led to the aircraft veering off the runway for the second time. The following contributing factors were identified: the runway was wet; engaging the throttle before the nose gear touched down caused the aircraft to skid left due to opposing forces; and the aircraft’s landing speed was likely greater than 92 knots, as it traveled a total of 438 meters off the runway onto the grass from touchdown, with 182 meters occurring after the tire went flat.