What happened
On February 22, 2018, a Piper PA-18A-150, registration HK-630G, was conducting a flight training mission at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Palmira, Colombia. The flight, operated by a flight training center, was part of an instrument flight phase training program. The crew consisted of one instructor and one student pilot.
After performing initial area work, the aircraft returned to the airport and was cleared to land on runway 02. The student pilot executed the approach and touchdown within normal parameters. However, during the deceleration phase on the runway, the aircraft began to drift to the left. An attempt to correct the deviation with right rudder resulted in an overcorrection toward the right, leading to a series of increasingly pronounced oscillations. This zigzagging motion eventually caused a total loss of directional control, resulting in a sharp right turn. The left main landing gear acted as a pivot point, causing it to fracture. The aircraft then impacted the runway with its left wing, and the propeller struck the surface, causing the engine to stop abruptly. The aircraft came to rest on the right side of the runway, having rotated 225 degrees from its original landing path. Both occupants evacuated the aircraft uninjured.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance records, the crew's flight experience, and the sequence of the landing roll. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was airworthy and had been maintained according to manufacturer specifications. While the instructor claimed experience in tailwheel aircraft, the investigation noted that no documentation was provided to support this claim. Additionally, investigators found that the training flight was being conducted in an aircraft lacking the minimum required avionics for the instrument flight phase, though this was not a direct cause of the accident.
Findings
- Loss of directional control during the landing roll was the primary cause of the accident.
- The instructor failed to take timely corrective action to stabilize the aircraft during the excursion.
- The instructor had limited recent experience flying tailwheel aircraft and instructing students in this specific type.
- The student pilot had limited overall flight experience and a lack of continuity in their training course.
- The aircraft sustained significant structural damage, including a fractured left main gear, damaged wing spars, and propeller damage.