What happened
Shortly after departing from Santa Rosa de Yacuma Airport, the flight crew was alerted by the flight engineer that the left engine had ignited. In response to the fire, the crew successfully shut down the affected engine and feathered the propeller to stabilize the aircraft.
To mitigate the danger, the captain elected to divert the flight to an abandoned airfield situated in El Triunfo, which is approximately 24 km north of the original departure point. During the landing sequence, the aircraft traveled roughly 100 metres along the runway before the left main landing gear failed. This collapse caused the aircraft to veer toward the left side of the strip and roll for several dozen metres.
Upon coming to a halt, the aircraft caught fire. While the fire caused significant damage to the left section of the airframe, all three crew members managed to evacuate the wreckage without sustaining any injuries.
Findings
- The primary incident was triggered by an engine fire on the left side of the aircraft.
- The subsequent ground accident was caused by the collapse of the left main landing gear during the landing roll.