Synopsis
On 18 January 2016, at 15:02 local time (20:02 UTC), a Piper PA-28-180, registration HK1584G, operated by IVIETA LTDA, was involved in a serious incident during an instructional flight. The aircraft was conducting a touch-and-go landing at Santiago Vila Aerodrome (SKGI) when a partial loss of engine power occurred. The instructor executed a forced landing in an unprepared field adjacent to the aerodrome. Both occupants, a flight instructor and a student pilot, evacuated the aircraft unharmed. There was no post-impact fire.
Flight History
The aircraft was scheduled for an instructional flight from Perales Airport (SKIB) with the intent to perform a touch-and-go at Santiago Vila. Three training aircraft proceeded to Santiago Vila. At 14:59 local time, the first aircraft completed the maneuver on runway 20. At 15:00, HK1584G was cleared for the same maneuver. During the initial climb after touchdown, the engine RPM dropped suddenly. The instructor declared a MAYDAY emergency and, unable to return to the aerodrome, conducted a forced landing in a flat, arid field.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft was a 1973 Piper PA-28-180, serial number PA-28-5435, with a Lycoming O-360-A4A engine. Total airframe hours were 11,859.4, and the engine had accumulated 9,886.9 hours. The last 100-hour inspection was completed on 3 December 2015. The flight instructor, aged 46, held Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor licenses, with 6,000 total flight hours, including 2,000 on type. The student pilot, aged 22, held a Student Pilot license and had 69.5 total flight hours, with 13.0 on type. Both held valid medical certificates.
Accident Sequence
After a normal landing and rollout on runway 20, the aircraft began its takeoff. During the initial climb, at approximately 200 meters from the runway end and at an altitude of 20 meters, a sudden loss of engine RPM occurred. The instructor took control and, unable to make it back to the runway, chose a nearby field for the forced landing. The aircraft first contacted the ground 48 meters from its final position, with a heading of approximately 170°. The impact was nose-down with a left bank, resulting in separation of the nose gear and left main gear. The aircraft came to rest at coordinates N04°15'49.28" W074°47'57.92", 640 meters from the threshold of runway 02.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained minor structural damage: sudden engine stop, deformed propeller blade tips, fracture and separation of the nose and left main landing gear, deformation of the left flap, dent on the left wing tip, partial detachment of the left front windshield, and dents on the lower fuselage. Both crew members were uninjured and evacuated by themselves. Emergency services from the National Police, volunteer firefighters, and Civil Defense responded.
Meteorological and Other Factors
Weather at the time was visual meteorological conditions: wind 320° at 5 knots, visibility 9 km, scattered clouds at 3,000 ft, temperature 37°C, dew point 16°C, altimeter setting 29.42 inHg. The weather was not considered a factor. Navigation aids were not required as the flight was conducted under VFR. Communications were normal. No flight recorders were required for this aircraft type.