Incident
Following departure from Barranquilla Airport, the aircraft was cruising over the Caribbean Sea at an altitude of 10,000 feet when the left engine caught fire. The crew activated the fire extinguishing system, but a technical issue prevented the propeller from being feathered. To maintain speed and avoid a stall, the captain initiated a descent and a passenger jettisoned cargo.
Emergency Landing
The situation escalated, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft into the Caribbean Sea approximately 34 kilometers off Cartagena. The airplane sank within four minutes and was lost. All three occupants were subsequently rescued.
Probable Cause
Official findings indicate the probable cause was a powerplant fire and failure of the feathering system, which led to critical flight conditions when the propeller began windmilling. Contributing factors included the aircraft being overloaded by 1,167 kilograms and the crew not being aware of the load prior to departure.