Accident Summary
On 3 October 2015, at 12:12 local time (17:12 UTC), a Piper PA-31-325, registration HK3909G, operated by El Caminante AIR S.A., was involved in an accident during an emergency landing in Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia. The aircraft had departed from Guaymaral Airport (SKGY) en route to Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín (SKMD) under visual flight rules (VFR) with three occupants on board: one pilot and two passengers.
Flight History
The flight plan indicated an intended cruise altitude of 10,500 feet along a visual route. After takeoff from runway 11 at 11:57 local time, the aircraft began a left turn. During this maneuver, the pilot reported an emergency to Guaymaral air traffic control (ATC) and stated intentions to fly toward the town of Chía. ATC coordinated with another aircraft (Piper PA-28, HK1571G) to give priority to the distressed aircraft. The pilot of HK3909G provided a position update but no further communications were received.
Emergency and Impact
The pilot executed an emergency landing in an unprepared field at the Hipódromo de los Andes (a horse racing track). During the landing, the aircraft's right wing struck a fixed steel structure known as a "pulpit" (used for racecourse announcing). The impact caused the aircraft to roll over and collide with the ground, followed by a post-impact fire. The wreckage was located 2.72 nautical miles northeast of SKGY.
Injuries and Damage
Two of the three occupants sustained fatal injuries due to the post-impact fire. One occupant exited the aircraft unaided and was uninjured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and fire. The steel structure was dislodged, and surrounding vegetation sustained minor damage from fuel and fire.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft, a Piper PA-31-325, was equipped with two Lycoming engines (TIO-540-F2BD and LTIO-540-F2BD) and Hartzell propellers. It had accumulated 5,209.32 total flight hours. The last annual inspection was on 19 September 2015, and the last 100-hour service on 17 July 2015. Maintenance records showed no prior pilot reports of engine or propeller malfunctions.
The pilot, aged 57, held a Commercial Pilot License with multi-engine and flight instructor ratings and had 10,377 total flight hours, with 121.35 hours on the accident aircraft.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined the probable cause to be: right engine malfunction after takeoff leading to an emergency landing in an unprepared field and impact with a structure that caused the aircraft to roll over and a subsequent post-impact fire; limited operation of the aircraft with one inoperative engine in a high-density altitude environment.