Accident Overview
On 14 June 2014, at 06:09 local time, a Cessna A188B agricultural aircraft, registration HK1740, collided with a tree while performing a low-level spraying pass over a banana plantation in La Guajira, Colombia. The aircraft was operated by Aero Sanidad Agrícola S.A.S. and was piloted by a single occupant, who was uninjured. No fire occurred.
Flight Sequence
The aircraft had been dispatched to spray 49 hectares of banana crop at Finca Bureche, near the municipality of Comegenes. The pilot arrived at the company facilities at 04:45 local time, confirmed application data, and completed a preflight checklist. The aircraft was loaded with 170 gallons of fungicide and 25 gallons of fuel. Takeoff from Shangrilá airstrip (IATA: 9DP) occurred at 05:27. After nine low-level passes, during the tenth pass in a north-south direction, a flock of birds took off from a tree in the flight path, heading toward the aircraft. The pilot chose to maintain low altitude to avoid direct bird impact on the cockpit. After passing the birds, as the pilot attempted to climb, the aircraft struck the top of the tree.
Following the collision, the pilot tried to maintain control but lost control of the aircraft. He then attempted to direct the airplane toward an arid field, where it impacted the ground, sustaining substantial damage. The pilot evacuated the aircraft unaided and was assisted by local workers.
Aircraft Damage
The impact with the terrain caused extensive structural damage, including separation of the right wing from the fuselage, separation of the engine and propeller, and significant deformation of the empennage. The initial collision with the tree had already caused deformation and embedding of branches in the fuselage and leading edge. The tree was approximately 11 meters tall, while the banana plants did not exceed 3.5 meters. The GPS data from the aircraft's AgNav system showed that the collision with the tree occurred during the tenth pass.
Pilot Information
The 38-year-old pilot held a Commercial Pilot License and had 1,835 total flight hours, with 205 hours on the Cessna A188B. His medical certificate was current with no special limitations. The pilot joined the company in December 2013.
Meteorological Conditions
According to the pilot, weather conditions were good with good horizontal visibility, light winds, and high cloud cover. The sun's position (azimuth 64.9°, elevation 8.5°) did not interfere with vision. Meteorological conditions were not considered a factor in the accident.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was a collision with an obstacle due to inappropriate judgment by the crewmember to avoid collision with birds during low-level flight.
Safety Aspects
The cockpit maintained structural integrity during the ground impact, and the pilot's seat belt functioned correctly. Post-accident examination of the propeller blades indicated that the engine was producing power at the time of impact. There was no evidence of pre-impact mechanical failure or malfunction of the engine, propeller, or airframe systems.