What happened
On May 17, 2017, at approximately 16:30 local time, a Piper PA25-235, registration HK-1290, was involved in a runway excursion during an aerial spraying operation at Pajonales Aerodrome in Ambalema, Tolima, Colombia.
After completing several flight segments throughout the day, the pilot taxied the aircraft for departure from runway 05. Without technical justification, the pilot elected to begin the takeoff roll from a point near the apron rather than using the full length of the runway, utilizing only about 415 meters of the available 1,240 meters. The aircraft failed to reach the required takeoff speed of approximately 83 mph. The pilot attempted to abort the takeoff, but the decision was made too late to stop the aircraft within the remaining runway distance.
The aircraft exited the runway toward heading 23, where the right wing struck a perimeter fence gate located 10 meters from the runway end. The impact caused a sudden change in direction and significant damage to the aircraft. Additionally, the uneven terrain in the safety area caused the main landing gear to collapse. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft uninjured, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage, including a damaged propeller, collapsed landing gear, and structural damage to the right wing and flaps.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation examined the flight history, the aircraft's maintenance records, and the operational environment. Investigators reviewed the pilot's duty logs, noting that the pilot had been on duty since 05:30 local time, totaling approximately 11 hours of service and 12 landings that day.
Technical inspections of the Lycoming O-540-G1A5 engine were performed, and the engine was found to be operating within normal parameters, contradicting the pilot's claim of power loss. The investigation also assessed the airfield conditions, finding that the safety zones at Pajonales were poorly maintained, with irregular surfaces and perimeter fences that contributed to the aircraft's damage during the excursion.
Findings
- The primary cause was the pilot's erroneous decision to attempt a takeoff using only one-third of the available runway length, providing insufficient distance to reach safe takeoff speeds.
- A secondary cause was the late execution of the aborted takeoff, which left insufficient distance to stop the aircraft.
- Pilot fatigue was a significant contributing factor, as the pilot had accumulated 11 hours of service and multiple flight segments prior to the accident.
- Inadequate operational scheduling by the company failed to account for the pilot's total daily service time and flight hours.
- A lack of adherence to the aircraft's Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) meant that takeoff performance criteria were not properly calculated or applied.
- Deficient runway safety area conditions, including uneven ground and perimeter obstructions, contributed to the structural damage of the aircraft.