What happened
On December 20, 2016, a Boeing 727-2JO, registration HK4544, operated by AEROSUCRE S.A., was performing a cargo flight from Bogotá to Puerto Carreño. After completing an earlier leg of the mission, the aircraft prepared for a return flight from Germán Olano Airport (SKPC).
During the takeoff roll on runway 25, the aircraft encountered obstacles located near the threshold of runway 07. As the crew initiated the rotation maneuver, the aircraft struck the airport's perimeter fence, a security booth, and a tree within an adjacent military installation. These impacts caused the separation of the right main landing gear, the right trailing inboard flap, and a portion of the hydraulic system. Additionally, the collision caused a loss of thrust in engine number three.
Despite the crew's attempts to maintain control, the aircraft experienced significant asymmetric lift and power, alongside a loss of hydraulic pressure. The aircraft entered an unstable climb, reaching a maximum altitude of 790 feet before a developing right bank of 58 degrees led to a fatal impact with the terrain approximately 4 nautical miles from the airport. The subsequent impact and fire destroyed the aircraft. Of the six occupants, four fatalities occurred instantly, one occupant died later in a hospital, and one survived with serious injuries.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation examined flight data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and cockpit audio from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). The investigation reviewed the aircraft's performance calculations, maintenance records, and the operator's operational specifications. Investigators also analyzed video footage from several witnesses near the airport that captured the rotation, the collision with the obstacles, and the final descent.
Findings
- The primary cause was inadequate flight planning by both the operator and the crew, specifically regarding takeoff performance calculations and the failure to verify airport limitations against the aircraft's configuration.
- The crew failed to account for a significant tailwind component during the takeoff roll.
- The crew utilized incorrect takeoff speeds (V1, VR, and V2) that did not account for a specific modification made to the aircraft's flap system, leading to a rotation speed that was 5 knots too high and an extended takeoff roll.
- The pilot employed an incorrect rotation technique, which further delayed the liftoff.
- The collision with obstacles caused critical structural and system failures, including the loss of the right landing gear, damage to the flaps, loss of engine No. 3 power, and the depletion of main hydraulic systems.
- The crew failed to activate the standby hydraulic system to restore directional control.
- The operator was performing operations at an airport that was not authorized for the B727-200 in its operational specifications.
- The aircraft was operated at a weight that exceeded the maximum established for the prevailing conditions at the airport.