What happened
On October 18, 2024, at approximately 14:00 local time, a Cessna A188B, registration HK-1535, was engaged in agricultural spraying operations at La Petriba aerodrome in Cabuyaro, Meta. After completing several successful spray missions, the pilot prepared for an additional flight to cover 30 hectares near the Palmasola airstrip. The aircraft was fully fueled but carried no chemical payload for this leg.
During the takeoff roll from runway 07, the pilot reported that the aircraft began to deviate suddenly to the left of the runway centerline once the tailwheel lifted. Despite attempts to maintain directional control, the aircraft entered the safety area, traveling approximately 80 meters through dense vegetation. The aircraft then drifted to the right, eventually coming to a stop 390 meters from the runway threshold. The impact caused the right main landing gear to collapse inward toward the fuselage and resulted in significant damage to the right wing, empennage, and fuselage structure. The pilot evacuated the aircraft uninjured.
The investigation
Investigators from the DIACC conducted a field inspection of the site and the aircraft. The investigation established that the aircraft's final position was at a heading of 350°, near a ditch parallel to the aerodrome. Evidence of the excursion was found in the form of tire marks on the runway and a zigzag pattern through the safety zone.
Physical examination of the aircraft revealed that the right main landing gear had buckled, and the right wing sustained plastic deformation and a fractured composite wingtip. The tailwheel assembly had detached due to the failure of the fusible pins, and the spring attach fitting showed signs of plastic deformation and internal corrosion. Additionally, the investigation noted that the runway surface, composed of gravel, was unpaved, and the runway threshold markings were obscured by dense vegetation, which in some areas exceeded 90 centimeters in height. The investigation also identified an error in the runway signage, where the threshold for runway 25 was incorrectly marked with the number 19.