What happened
On January 14, 2014, at approximately 20:30 local time, a Cessna 210-5 (205), registration CX-JNP, was conducting a skydiving operation near the El Jagüel Departmental Aerodrome in Punta del Este, Uruguay. While climbing to 10,000 feet, the aircraft's engine began losing power, prompting the pilot to initiate a return to the departure airfield.
As the aircraft approached runway 19, the engine suffered a complete failure. The pilot attempted an emergency landing, touching down on the final third of the runway. During the landing roll, the pilot steered the aircraft to the left to avoid striking the perimeter fence and any potential traffic on the adjacent roadway. However, the aircraft veered off the runway safety area, causing the nose gear to detach. This led to the aircraft pitching forward and performing a nose-over before coming to a stop. There was no post-crash fire.
The investigation
The CIAIA investigators arrived at the scene the following morning to examine the wreckage and the circumstances of the flight. The investigation focused on the sequence of power loss during the climb and the subsequent mechanical failure that led to the engine shutdown during the approach.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in a skydiving capacity with a total of seven occupants (one pilot and six passengers).
- The primary cause of the accident was a total engine failure during the landing phase.
- The aircraft sustained significant damage during the excursion and nose-over.
- All seven occupants were able to egress the aircraft; while there were several injuries and minor contusions, there were no fatalities.