What happened
On March 31, 2018, a Cessna 172, registration HK5101G, departed Guaymaral Airport (SKGY) for a dual-instruction flight. The crew, consisting of a flight instructor and a student pilot, intended to perform maneuvers in the SKE24 training zone. Although air traffic controllers warned the crew upon departure that the airport was likely to close within minutes due to approaching severe weather, the instructor decided to proceed with the training mission.
As the flight progressed, convective weather moved from the southwest toward the north, significantly degrading visibility and bringing heavy rain. The crew attempted to navigate toward different areas to maintain visual conditions, but the advancing storm eventually blocked access to their home airport and several alternative aerodaries.
With visibility dropping and the aircraft unable to return to Guaymaral, the instructor declared an emergency. The crew requested assistance from the Highway Police to temporarily close a section of Highway 55 near Chocontá. At approximately 19:55 UTC, the aircraft performed a controlled emergency landing on the cleared roadway. During the final approach at roughly 60 feet, the aircraft struck an overhead electrical cable, which entangled the nose gear. The aircraft traveled approximately 388 meters before coming to a stop. Both occupants escaped the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation focused on the decision-making process of the crew and the operational oversight provided by the flight school. Investigators examined the meteorological reports, the communication between the crew and air traffic control, and the flight school's internal flight dispatch and monitoring procedures. The investigation also reviewed the maintenance status of the Cessna 172 and the impact of the electrical cable strike on the aircraft's structural integrity.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the inadequate decision-making and low situational awareness of the flight instructor, who chose to initiate and continue the flight despite weather conditions that were clearly threatening to deteriorate to the point of preventing a safe return.
- The flight school lacked clear dispatch policies regarding the cancellation or postponement of flights due to deteriorating weather.
- The flight school lacked an effective flight tracking system to monitor aircraft position and real-time meteorological changes.
- The crew failed to adequately account for the convective evolution of the weather, which ultimately forced the emergency landing on an unprepared surface.
- The aircraft sustained damage to the engine cowling, nose gear, and horizontal stabilizer due to the impact with the electrical cable.