What happened
On October 17, 2011, a Cessna 188 was performing its second scheduled crop-dusting flight of the day at the Grupo Haro estate. After departing from the Banasur airstrip with 40 gallons of fuel and 150 gallons of chemical product on board, the aircraft experienced a significant loss of power during the initial climb.
The pilot reported that the engine power decreased until the engine eventually stopped. In an attempt to manage the emergency, the pilot jettisoned the chemical load and attempted to restart the engine using the electric pump; however, these efforts were unsuccessful. Consequently, the pilot executed an emergency landing in a banana plantation located in the La Piaña sector near Machala. The impact caused severe structural damage to the aircraft, including bent propeller blades, a broken main landing gear attachment, and damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot sustained no injuries and was able to evacuate the aircraft on his own.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the engine's performance and the cause of the power loss. While the engine showed no mechanical defects during post-accident testing—including normal compression levels and successful ground runs—investigators noted that the fuel from the tanks had spilled during the crash, preventing laboratory analysis of its purity.
Technical inspections revealed that while the engine was in good working order, some non-aviation grade hardware, specifically a clamp and pressure bolt between the air intake and the turbocharger, were not the specified aeronautical components. However, these parts were not determined to be contributors to the accident. The investigation also noted that the pilot's proficiency check was not up to date for this specific aircraft type.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was a momentary failure of the fuel pump, likely triggered by contaminants within the fuel.
- The pilot's attempt to restart the engine using the emergency pump may have caused the engine to stall due to flooding.
- The aircraft's maintenance records and logs showed no previous reports of engine irregularities or malfunctions.
- Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were suitable for VFR flight and did not contribute to the event.