Flight Synopsis
On February 18, 2022, a Piper PA-28-161 (registration HK4856) was scheduled for a training flight from Barranquilla's Ernesto Cortissoz Airport (SKBQ) to Santa Marta's Simón Bolívar Airport (SKSM) and back, with a single student pilot on board.
Accident Sequence
The student pilot started the engine at approximately 07:25 local time and took off from runway 05 at 07:35 HL (12:35 UTC). Minutes later, near the Pumarejo bridge, the student noticed abnormal aircraft performance, heard a bang, and saw engine oil covering the front windshield. At 07:41 HL, the student reported the issue to air traffic control and requested an immediate return for an emergency landing on runway 23 at Ernesto Cortissoz. At 07:45 HL, the student informed the tower that the runway could not be reached and intended to land in an unprepared field. The controller activated the airport emergency plan. As the aircraft approached the field, the right wing struck palm trees, causing the student to lose control. The aircraft crashed into terrain 912 meters from runway 23.
Injuries and Damage
The student pilot was evacuated semi-conscious by local residents and taken to a medical center with serious injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the accident resulted from an emergency landing attempt after a total engine failure. The engine failure was caused by a complete fracture of a connecting rod. Material failure of the crankshaft journal surface, due to partial material loss, led to erosion in the central part of the journal. This erosion obstructed the lubrication system, increasing friction and temperature until the material's strength weakened and the connecting rod fractured.
Contributing factors included weak maintenance processes that failed to detect the engine damage during scheduled services, and a lack of effectiveness in the training center's Safety Management System (SMS), characterized by a deficient reporting culture, inadequate risk management, and poor integration with maintenance processes.