Air Tractor AT-301 HK-5162 Forced Landing in Ciénaga, Colombia (HK5162)

Incident Overview and Flight History On August 13, 2016, an Air Tractor AT-301, registration HK-5162, was conducting aerial fumigation operations in the Magdalena department of Colombia. The aircraft was operated by Servicios de Fumigación Aérea Garay S.A.S. and was based at the La Lucha airstrip (IATA: 9LD) in Ciénaga. The flight began at approximately 05:55 local time, and the aircraft completed three prior sorties. At 07:20 local time, the aircraft was refueled with 56 gallons of fuel and 200 gallons of chemical product. The pilot took off at 07:25 local time and headed toward a target area located approximately two nautical miles from the airstrip. During the flight, after reaching 400 feet above ground level, the pilot reduced power as part of the standard procedure. At that moment, a loud noise was heard from the engine. The pilot attempted to recover the engine and discharged the chemical product in an emergency. When recovery efforts failed, the pilot decided to make a forced landing in a nearby banana field at Finca San José, approximately three kilometers from the runway threshold.