Accident Sequence
Minutes after departing from Punta Coco Airport on Isla del Rey, the aircraft was overflying the Bay of Panama at an altitude of 2,500 feet when the right engine failed. The pilot notified air traffic control of the situation, feathered the propeller, and continued toward the intended destination, Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert Airport (MAG).
Unable to reach MAG, the pilot reduced altitude and attempted an emergency landing on Perico Island, located 8 km east of the destination. Upon touchdown, the right main landing gear was torn off. The aircraft slid for several dozen meters before coming to rest against a freight container. The aircraft sustained damage beyond repair, while all eight occupants evacuated without injury.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the accident occurred because the captain was forced to land in the Amador area two minutes before landing at MAG Airport. The aircraft made contact with terrain, and during the landing roll, the right landing gear detached and collided with a cargo container. This resulted from a series of events: the failure of the right engine due to an oil leak from the base (adapter) of the oil filter; the in-flight shutdown of the right engine due to a failure of the indication appearing on the cockpit control instruments; the descent from 2,500 feet to 1,700 feet to land on Contadora Island, without which sufficient altitude might have been maintained to reach MAG; human error in not deciding to land on Contadora Island's runway and instead continuing toward MAG with the engine off; the loss of altitude en route to MAG due to cylinder compression not within manufacturer's limits; and the possible influence of occupant and cargo weight, which prevented maintaining altitude with one engine operating given the inadequate cylinder compression.