Accident Overview
A twin-engine airplane crashed shortly after takeoff from Santiago-Los Cerrillos Airport. The aircraft departed from runway 03 and was in the initial climb phase when the right engine failed. The pilot declared an emergency and elected to return to the airport for an emergency landing. During the return, the airplane stalled and impacted a field approximately 2 kilometers from the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed, and all four occupants were killed.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was a loss of control during initial climb resulting from the failure of the right engine. However, investigators could not accurately determine the reason for the engine failure due to the extensive destruction of the engines. The lack of evidence also prevented investigators from establishing a correlation between the right engine failure and a possible overloading of the aircraft, as well as the operational status (normal or otherwise) of the left engine.
Sequence of Events
After the right engine failed, the pilot initiated a return to the airport. The airplane subsequently stalled and crashed in a field located 2 km from the airport. The aircraft was completely destroyed, and all four occupants sustained fatal injuries.