Synopsis
On 28 September 2021, at approximately 14:25 local time, a Bell 206L-3 helicopter, registration HK4311, was landing at Aeródromo Matecaña (SKPE) in Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia, when the engine lost power and the aircraft made a hard impact with the runway. The helicopter was operating a visual flight rules (VFR) flight for power line inspection. All four occupants—one pilot, one technician, and two workers—evacuated without injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Flight History
The helicopter departed from Medellín's Olaya Herrera Airport (SKMD) at 06:32 local time, carrying the pilot and technician. After refueling, it flew to Palmira, where two workers boarded at 09:18. The flight then proceeded to Cartago Airport (SKGO) for additional refueling, arriving at 11:16. At 11:54, the helicopter departed for Matecaña Airport, continuing power line inspections en route. At 13:21:36, while at 3,830 feet MSL and 79 knots groundspeed, the engine oil pressure indicator began fluctuating. The pilot decided to continue the flight toward SKPE with the indication still fluctuating.
Accident Sequence
At 14:19, air traffic control instructed the pilot to hold near La Virginia and expect approach to runway 08. At 14:21, the pilot reported being on base leg and received landing clearance. At 14:25, during final approach at 50 feet AGL and 49 knots groundspeed, the N2 indication dropped, the turbine outlet temperature (TOT) rose, and the engine shut down. The helicopter lost altitude and made a hard contact with the runway surface, approximately 620 meters beyond the runway 08 threshold.
Investigation Findings
The investigation by the Colombian Directorate of Technical Investigation of Accidents (DIACC) determined the probable causes to include: a hard landing following loss of altitude due to engine shutdown during final approach; the pilot's decision to continue flight despite abnormal oil pressure indications; non-compliance with the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) emergency procedures for fluctuating oil pressure; and a malfunction of the No. 8 bearing in the engine, which generated metallic debris that jammed and broke the oil pump shaft, limiting internal lubrication. A contributing factor was overconfidence influencing decision-making during an abnormal situation that warranted a precautionary landing.
The accident occurred in daylight under visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The aircraft was a Bell 206L-3, serial number not specified, with a Rolls-Royce 250-C30P engine.