What happened
On June 19, 2014, a Cessna U206E, registration N-4258, crashed into the mountainous terrain of Cerro Los Chancos in the municipality of Calima, Colombia. The aircraft, operated by Pacific Rim Aviation LLC, was performing a private flight from Panama City to Guayaquil, Ecuador, with a scheduled technical stop in Cali for refueling.
The flight was filed under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) with an intended altitude of 7,500 feet. After departing Panama, the pilot established contact with Cali Radar at 18:11 UTC. At 18:49 UTC, all communication with the aircraft was lost. Following the failure of the aircraft to arrive at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Airport, an alert phase was declared. Search operations conducted by the Colombian Air Force located the wreckage in a remote, heavily forested area of the Western Cordillera at approximately 22:00 UTC. The impact resulted in three fatalities, including the pilot and two occupants. There was no pre- or post-impact fire.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation examined the flight planning, meteorological conditions, and the pilot's adherence to aeronautical charts. The investigation established that the aircraft was airworthy and the pilot held a valid FAA license with significant flight experience.
Investigators analyzed satellite imagery and aerial photography, which confirmed the presence of low-level cloud cover over the accident site at the time of the event. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's communications with Cali Radar, noting that the pilot had requested a climb to 9,500 feet to avoid cloud buildup. However, the aircraft's GPS recorded a final impact altitude of 10,172 feet. The investigation focused on the pilot's decision to continue VFR operations despite encountering Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) and the failure to consult Minimum Area Altitudes (MAA) for the Colombian airspace.