Incident Overview
On August 18, 2021, at 13:14 local time (18:14 UTC), a Cessna 402B, registration HK4933, operated by Vannet S.A.S., was involved in a serious incident during landing at Santiago Vila Airport (SKGI) in Flandes, Tolima, Colombia. The aircraft was conducting a special aerial work (photography) flight, though the intended purpose of the flight was crew currency and equipment verification, not photography. The flight originated from Guaymaral Airport (SKGY) in Bogotá and was planned as a touch-and-go at SKGI before returning to SKGY.
Flight History
The crew, consisting of a pilot and co-pilot, departed SKGY at 12:25 local time. During the initial climb, there were intermittent communication issues with air traffic control (ATC). The flight proceeded visually under visual flight rules (VFR) towards the Magdalena Valley, where weather conditions were reported as optimal. However, communication difficulties persisted with one ATC sector but improved with another. The aircraft descended and approached the Santiago Vila area via the VOR, intending a touch-and-go. Upon observing adverse weather on the return route, the crew decided to perform a full-stop landing instead.
At 13:07, the crew contacted ATC, requesting a full landing. ATC advised runway 20 in use with wind from 060° at 4 knots, but the crew requested runway 02. ATC cleared them to land on runway 02, reporting wind calm, then later confirming wind from 060° at 8 knots. The approach was described as unstabilized—high and fast. At 13:13, the aircraft touched down, experiencing several bounces. The crew initiated a go-around by retracting the landing gear. However, they changed their decision and attempted to continue the landing by extending the gear again. The landing gear did not have sufficient time to lock, and the aircraft touched down with the gear in transit. The aircraft slid on its belly, veered right off the runway, and came to a stop in the safety area between taxiways A and B.
Injuries and Damage
Both occupants evacuated the aircraft unassisted and were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to both engines, propellers, and the ventral section. No fire occurred. Airport fire services responded but did not need to apply extinguishing agents.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined the following probable causes: lateral runway excursion due to loss of directional control from landing gear retraction; and retraction and immediate extension of the landing gear mechanism during the crew's aborted go-around maneuver. Contributing factors were identified as an unstabilized approach (high and fast) leading to hard contact and bounces, and overconfidence in assuming favorable landing conditions.