What happened
On February 23, 2013, at approximately 5:00 p.m., a Rockwell Commander 112TC, registration HI 610, was conducting a maintenance test flight at Santiago's Cibao International Airport (MDST) in the Dominican Republic. The flight was intended to verify adjustments made to the landing gear hydraulic pump following a recent component replacement.
After taking off from runway 11 and climbing to 1,500 feet, the aircraft experienced a brief engine malfunction followed by a complete loss of power. The pilot attempted to contact the tower multiple times, but the controller was unable to respond due to other traffic. Forced to execute an emergency landing, the pilot brought the aircraft down approximately 400 feet short of the runway 11 threshold. During the descent, the aircraft struck trees, causing the right wing to rotate significantly before coming to rest. The pilot, who was also the aircraft maintenance technician, escaped the wreckage without injury.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance records, the engine, and the fuel system. Investigators found that the aircraft had undergone a 100-hour inspection just two days prior to the accident. Upon inspecting the wreckage and later draining the fuel tanks at the operator's hangar, investigators recovered only approximately 50 ml of fuel.
Physical evidence at the scene included a 3/8 wrench found lodged between the propeller governor and the starter motor. The investigation also noted that the pilot utilized an auditory method to check fuel levels—shaking the aircraft to listen for fuel movement—rather than using standard visual or physical measurement techniques. \_