Factual Information
On 24 September 2021, at 11:15 local time, a Piper 32RT-300T, registration HK4773, was taking off from runway 04 at La Primavera Aerodrome (SKIM), La Primavera, Vichada, Colombia. The aircraft was operating a non-regular air transport (air taxi) flight. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had six occupants: the pilot and five passengers.
Flight History
The aircraft had departed Villavicencio (SKVV) earlier that morning, making stops at La Primavera and Santa Rosalía (SKSL) before returning to La Primavera to pick up an additional passenger. On the final leg, the pilot planned to take off from runway 04, which had a wet surface and was subject to a crosswind from the right. The pilot intentionally positioned the aircraft on the left side of the runway to avoid potholes in the center.
Accident Sequence
During the takeoff roll, at approximately 40–50 knots and after covering about three-quarters of the runway, the pilot felt a jolt on the left side of the aircraft. Subsequent attempts to maintain directional control were unsuccessful, and the aircraft veered left, departing the runway. It continued off the paved surface for approximately 400 meters before coming to a stop. The pilot and five passengers evacuated the aircraft without injury. There was no fire. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The investigation determined the probable cause of the serious incident was a lateral runway excursion due to loss of directional control during the takeoff roll. The loss of directional control of the nose wheel steering system occurred because the nose landing gear lost contact with the runway surface when the nose wheel lifted at low speed. This was caused by runway surface irregularities, including potholes, asphalt detachment, and undulations. The condition was aggravated by the reduced effectiveness of the rudder at low speed.
Contributing factors included: the aircraft's center of gravity being near the aft limit, which increased the pitch-up moment and facilitated nose wheel lift-off; a crosswind from the right that demanded effective directional control; weak risk management by the operator regarding operations from aerodromes with known deficient conditions; and the deteriorated asphalt surface of La Primavera's runway.
Investigation Outcome
The investigation issued four safety recommendations. No injuries were reported, and all occupants self-evacuated.