Piper PA-25-235 Emergency Landing in Esmeraldas, Ecuador

Incident Overview and Flight Details On February 16, 2000, at 20:00 UTC (15:00 local time), a Piper PA-25-235 aircraft made an emergency landing in a banana plantation at Hacienda Magali, located in the San Jacinto del Chipo district of Quinindé, Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador. The aircraft was engaged in general aviation operations, specifically aerial fumigation. The incident was classified as a loss of power followed by an impact with the terrain. The aircraft was completing the final flight of a series of eight scheduled fumigation missions for Hacienda El Paraíso, situated at kilometer 16 of the Santo Domingo-Quinindé road. The flight departed from the Silok airstrip, located at kilometer 34 of the same road, at 19:18 UTC (14:18 local time). According to the company's operational plan, the aircraft was scheduled to proceed to the El Limón airstrip (kilometer 192) for the night following the completion of the fumigation tasks. However, the pilot decided to deviate from the planned route to conduct an aerial reconnaissance of another plantation in the Quinindé sector. While returning toward the El Limón airstrip, the aircraft's engine shut down while flying over Hacienda Magali, forcing the pilot to execute an emergency landing in the plantation.