What happened
On September 1, 2025, a Bell 206 L3, registration HK-5198, was conducting a non-scheduled commercial flight for testing purposes following maintenance work on the engine and main rotor. The flight originated from the operator's base at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Airport in Palmira, Colombia.
During the approach to runway 02, the pilot initiated a simulated emergency procedure involving an autorotation. While executing the maneuver, the pilot observed that the N2 parameters had dropped below the required 90% to 107% range, with the turbine needle falling below 90%. In an attempt to recover the maneuver, the pilot increased the throttle; however, the engine failed to respond effectively. As the autorotation continued, the aircraft entered a state of vibration, leading to a loss of control and a hard landing in the safety zone, approximately 34 meters from the runway.
The impact caused the aircraft to rotate twice on its longitudinal axis. The force of the landing resulted in the sudden stoppage of the power plant, the fracturing of both main rotor blades, and the shearing of the tail rotor and stabilizers. All four occupants were evacuated by airport emergency services; while most were unharmed, the maintenance chief sustained considerable injuries.
The investigation
Field inspections conducted the following day confirmed the aircraft's final position within the runway safety area. Investigators utilized ADS-B data from the final two minutes of flight, which documented the descent and the right-hand turn performed to comply with air traffic control instructions.
Physical evidence, including the separation of the tail section and the fracture of the main rotor blades at the root, allowed investigators to determine that a sudden engine stoppage occurred during the sequence of impact. The investigation is ongoing, with pending tasks including the review of maintenance records, inspection of the engine and rotor components, and interviews with the crew.