Incident Overview
On May 17, 2016, at 17:32 local time (22:32 UTC), a Cessna TU206G with registration HK2804 made an emergency landing in the Vereda "El Raizal" area of Caldas, Antioquia, Colombia. The aircraft was operated by Américas Air S.A.S. and was conducting a non-regular passenger transport flight from Quibdó to Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín (SKMD).
Flight History and Sequence of Events
The single-engine aircraft departed Quibdó at 16:53 local time under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) with 60 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot, the sole occupant, climbed to 11,500 feet and proceeded en route toward Medellín. Approximately 30 minutes into the flight, while descending at an altitude of 9,000 feet and seven nautical miles from Caldas, the engine failed suddenly.
The pilot attempted to restart the engine without success and notified air traffic control at Rionegro. Subsequently, the pilot selected an unpaved road in the rural area of El Raizal for a forced landing. During the impact sequence, the nose gear detached upon striking the ground, and the left wing leading edge collided with fence posts, causing a sharp yaw to the left. The tail assembly sustained significant deformation after hitting the roadside embankment. The aircraft came to rest at a final heading of 303 degrees.
Damage and Injuries
The pilot exited the aircraft unassisted and was uninjured, later receiving medical evaluation at a nearby hospital. The aircraft sustained substantial structural damage, including the detachment of the nose gear, torsion and detachment of the main landing gear, multiple perforations in the left wing leading edge, and severe deformation of the empennage. The engine remained attached to the firewall with no apparent ruptures or leaks, and the propeller blades indicated low RPMs at the time of impact.
Investigation Findings
The investigation by the Colombian Air Accident Investigation Group (GRIAA) ruled out fuel exhaustion, internal engine damage, and accessory failures as causes. The probable causes were identified as either carburetor icing due to possible improper engine operation or an inadequate air-fuel mixture adjustment that deprived the engine of necessary fuel during descent.