Fatal Geophysical Survey Flight in Chocó (PR-MIC)

Incident Overview and Flight Details A single-engine aircraft departed Cali-Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Airport for a geophysical exploration mission in the southern part of Chocó. The aircraft carried three crew members: two pilots and one operator responsible for the LIDAR equipment. At 1144 local time, the crew reported an altitude of 5,600 feet. Two minutes later, while cruising in poor visibility, the aircraft struck trees and crashed in wooded and hilly terrain near Yambo. The wreckage was located a few hours after the accident, and all three occupants were killed. ## Official Findings The investigation identified several contributing factors. The primary event was a controlled flight into terrain. The crew was executing a visual flight rules (VFR) flight in reduced visibility weather conditions. Investigators also cited poor decision-making by the crew in continuing VFR operations despite being in an environment of significantly reduced visibility. Additionally, an inadequate operational risk assessment was noted, attributed to the foreign crew's lack of familiarity with the local topography and meteorological evolution of the sector.