2016 Piper PA-28-140 fuel leak incident in Buziraco, Colombia (HK1791)

Overview and Operation Details On 18 September 2016, a Piper PA-28-140, registration HK-1791-G, operated by Aeroclub de Colombia, was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) training flight. The aircraft departed from Perales Airport (SKIB) in Ibagué, Tolima, with Neiva's Benito Salas Airport (SKNV) as its final destination. The sole occupant was a 20-year-old student pilot holding a valid medical certificate and a student pilot license for airplanes. ## Incident Sequence During the final approach to runway 20 at Benito Salas Airport, the aircraft experienced a partial loss of power, which the pilot temporarily recovered before suffering a total loss of engine power. Unable to reach the airport due to altitude and distance constraints, the student pilot declared an emergency and executed a forced landing in an unprepared field at Hacienda Nuevo Horizonte, Vereda San Francisco, Buziraco, Huila. The incident occurred at approximately 15:40 local time (20:40 UTC) in visual meteorological conditions. ## Damage and Injuries The aircraft sustained substantial structural damage, including the fracture and detachment of the nose and main landing gear, deformation of the engine firewall and cowlings, and damage to the propeller. The student pilot suffered minor soft-tissue injuries to the face and was transported to a hospital in Neiva. No post-impact fire occurred, and the pilot evacuated the aircraft independently. ## Investigation Findings The investigation determined that the probable cause of the incident was fuel exhaustion resulting from a leak through a partially repaired hole in the base of the left fuel tank. This led to a total loss of mechanical power due to the lack of fuel supply from the left tank. Contributing factors included deficiencies in the aircraft's fuel system maintenance practices and the low reliability of the cabin fuel quantity indicators, which were affected by the deterioration and discrepancy of the signal transmitters inside the fuel tanks.