What happened
On March 27, 2008, a Cessna U206F, registration OB-1790, operated by Aero Palcazu S.A.C., departed from the María Reiche Newman Aerodrome for a sightseeing flight over the Nasca Lines. The aircraft was carrying one pilot and five passengers.
At approximately 13:16 UTC, while flying over the "Parrot" geoglyph, the pilot declared an emergency, reporting that the aircraft was running low on fuel and intended to land on the Panamericana Sur highway. The aircraft successfully performed an emergency landing at kilometer 427 of the highway. The pilot shut down the engine and all electrical switches prior to impact to prevent fire. Following the landing, the pilot and all five passengers evacuated the aircraft without injury. The aircraft was later authorized to depart the highway and return to the aerodrome without further incident.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation examined the flight sequence, the aircraft's maintenance records, and the operational procedures of the operator. The investigation reviewed the aircraft's fuel consumption, the pilot's flight planning, and the workload of both the flight crew and maintenance personnel. The investigation also looked into the fuel replenishment processes and the time available between flight legs for pre-flight inspections.
Findings
- The aircraft was flying at a low altitude as authorized by Nasca tower control, which left the pilot with insufficient time to react once the fuel exhaustion became critical.
- There was a lack of control regarding fuel consumption by both the pilot and the maintenance personnel.
- The operator failed to adhere to flight planning procedures, as the short interval of only 7 to 10 minutes between flight legs prevented a proper pre-flight fuel check.
- High workload and time pressure affected both the pilot and the mechanic, contributing to the oversight.