What happened
On July 11, 2013, a Diamond DA-40XLS, registration N293DS, operated by Aero Advantage Services Corp., was conducting a VFR flight from Lib Mandi aerodrome to San Ramón. The flight plan involved departing from the coast, crossing the Andes mountain range, and arriving in the central jungle region.
After takeoff, the pilot requested and received various altitude clearances, eventually climbing to FL175. While following the route along the Central Highway, the aircraft lost radar contact with Lima ATC at 15:01 UTC while flying at approximately 14,700 feet. Approximately nine minutes later, at 15:10 UTC, the aircraft impacted terrain near the Ticlio pass at an elevation of approximately 15,582 feet. The impact caused the aircraft to be destroyed and subsequently catch fire. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation examined radar data from SPIM, which allowed investigators to reconstruct the flight path and compare it to a similar flight performed by the pilot with an instructor 40 days prior. The investigation established that the aircraft was operating normally and showed no signs of mechanical failure, engine malfunction, or fuel contamination. The engine was found to have impacted the ground at high power.
Investigators also reviewed the pilot's experience and the aircraft's performance capabilities. While the pilot had successfully crossed the mountains in the same aircraft with an instructor previously, the investigation noted that the pilot entered the valley along the Central Highway at an altitude 1,000 feet lower than the altitude used during the previous successful crossing.
Findings
- The aircraft entered a stall while operating under marginal conditions regarding airspeed, altitude, and terrain clearance.
- The pilot failed to maintain a minimum safety altitude relative to the terrain prior to crossing the Andes.
- The pilot did not establish a specific waypoint on the route to ensure a minimum altitude sufficient to clear the mountain range.
- The pilot made an inadequate decision in the final phase of the flight by continuing the mountain crossing despite being in a marginal state of altitude and speed, missing the opportunity to return to a safer altitude.
- The pilot's experience in high-altitude, low-speed, and low-terrain-clearance environments was limited.