Flight History
On 23 June 2018, a Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, registration HK5020, operated by Colcharter IPS S.A.S., departed Palonegro Airport in Bucaramanga at 12:25 local time (17:25 UTC) for Los Colonizadores Airport in Saravena, Arauca. The flight was an aeromedical mission with a pilot, copilot, and two medical passengers. After an uneventful approach and landing on runway 34, approximately 40 meters into the landing roll, when brakes were applied, the nose landing gear suddenly retracted. The aircraft came to rest supported by the main landing gear and the lower structure of the nose section. The propeller blades of both engines contacted the runway surface, causing sudden engine stoppage. The aircraft veered right and exited the runway into the safety area, coming to a stop 3 meters from the runway edge and 273 meters from the threshold of runway 34. All occupants evacuated the aircraft unaided and were uninjured.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a Commercial Pilot License (Airplanes) and was 26 years old. The copilot also held a Commercial Pilot License and was 29 years old. Both had valid medical certificates and had completed a proficiency check on the aircraft type on 27 January 2018. The pilot had 1109:11 hours on type, and the copilot had 1349:35 hours total, all on the PA-34.
Aircraft and Maintenance Information
The aircraft was a 1978 Piper PA-34-200T, serial number 34-7870244, with airworthiness certificate No. 0005433 and registration certificate No. R005257. Its last maintenance service was on 20 June 2018. Total flight hours were not specified in the report.
Wreckage and Impact
The aircraft sustained visible damage to the lower nose composite skin, with no apparent damage to the primary structure. The nose landing gear suffered superficial abrasion from sliding on the asphalt. Both propellers exhibited significant damage, with blade tips worn approximately one-third of their length due to contact with the runway surface. No other property damage occurred.
Probable Cause
Investigators determined the probable cause to be misalignment of the coupling bar and over-center guide adjustment of the nose landing gear, likely resulting from fatigue of components essential for safe landing gear operation. This condition caused the nose gear retraction, loss of directional control, and subsequent runway excursion.