Flight History
On August 29, 2018, at approximately 08:28 local time, an Air Tractor AT-301, registration HK-4615, operated by Fumigaray, departed from runway 20 at Los Almendros airstrip in Carepa, Antioquia. The aircraft was on its second flight of the day, heading west-southwest toward Finca Lejanía, located 2.5 nautical miles from the airstrip. It had been fueled with 80 gallons of fuel and loaded with 300 gallons of chemical product "Volley" for spraying.
During the initial climb, the pilot reported hearing an unusual noise and observing light smoke in the cockpit. He contacted the company via radio, stating he would return to base. However, the aircraft lost power and began to descend, making it impossible to return. The pilot decided to dump the chemical load and execute a forced landing in a banana plantation near Finca La Coqueta.
During the forced landing, the aircraft encountered a ditch, causing the right main landing gear wheel to detach. The aircraft then struck a perimeter fence, which altered its trajectory and decelerated it. The aircraft came to a stop at a heading of 335° and an elevation of 45 feet. The pilot shut off the fuel, de-energized the aircraft, released his harness, opened the window vent, and evacuated the aircraft unassisted.
Injuries
The pilot sustained minor injuries and was transported to a medical center for evaluation of severe lower back pain. No other persons were aboard.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft suffered substantial damage. The fuselage and wings exhibited minor dents, abrasions, and skin deformations. The right main landing gear wheel was detached from its axle. The engine experienced a sudden stoppage due to entanglement with the perimeter fence mesh, and the propeller blades were bent. Damage to surrounding vegetation occurred from impact and chemical release.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the serious incident was caused by the pilot's loss of situational awareness, failing to identify the aircraft malfunction(s), not executing established procedures, performing unnecessary procedures, and being forced to make an emergency landing.
Contributing Factors
The investigation identified contributing factors:
- Inadequate training programs by the operator in Crew Resource Management (CRM) applied to the company's needs for identifying risks from human factors affecting safe operations.
- Deficiencies in the Safety Management System (SMS) that did not allow identification of systemic behavioral factors of frontline operational personnel or appropriate actions during technical failures.
- Inadequate training programs for crews in identifying and responding to emergency procedures.