Overview
On 25 February 2023, a Piper PA34-200T twin-engine aircraft, registration HK5025, was involved in a serious incident during landing at Juan José Rondón Airport (SKPA) in Paipa, Boyacá, Colombia. The aircraft operated as a non-scheduled commercial air taxi flight.
Flight History
The aircraft was originally scheduled to operate from Olaya Herrera Airport (SKMD) in Medellín to Matecaña Airport (SKPE) in Pereira, where three passengers boarded for the onward flight to Paipa. The crew of two performed preflight checks and departed SKMD at 07:50 local time with no passengers. After landing at SKPE, they refueled and planned a visual flight rules (VFR) route to SKPA. The aircraft departed SKPE at 15:35 local time with the captain as pilot flying. The approach to runway 04 was planned as a visual left-hand circuit.
The Incident
At approximately 11:49 local time (16:49 UTC), the aircraft touched down on runway 04. The crew felt a slight left tilt, suggesting a loss of inflation pressure in the left main landing gear tire. The pilot attempted directional control using right pedal and differential braking. After traveling several meters, the aircraft veered left off the runway into the safety area, where it encountered a drainage ditch and stopped abruptly. The crew had shut down both engines before the aircraft left the runway. All five occupants—two crew and three passengers—evacuated without injury.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the main landing gear. The right main landing gear structure fractured, and the right flap was damaged. No fire occurred. No injuries were reported.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the crew had difficulty maintaining directional control during the landing roll due to a loss of tire inflation pressure in the left main landing gear, which led to the lateral runway excursion. Additionally, the detached tread of the tire dragged excessively on the asphalt, further hindering directional control. A contributing factor was the execution of a high-speed approach and landing, which, combined with the aircraft weight, imposed additional loads on the right main landing gear tire, causing tread detachment.
Probable Cause
According to the investigation, the probable causes of the serious incident were: difficulty of the crew in maintaining control of the aircraft during the landing roll due to loss of tire inflation pressure in the left main landing gear, which caused the lateral runway excursion; and excessive dragging of the detached tire tread on the asphalt during the landing roll, which hindered directional control. A contributing factor was the execution of a high-speed approach and landing that, together with the weight, generated additional loads on the right main landing gear tire, causing tread detachment.