What happened
During a flight approximately 35 minutes after departure, an aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 5,500 feet when the left engine began to malfunction. In response to the mechanical issue, the crew initiated procedures to shut down the left engine and feather the propeller.
Following this action, the crew increased power to the right engine to maintain flight. Shortly after this adjustment, the right engine suffered an explosion. Faced with a total loss of power, the crew executed an emergency ditching near Llaque Island in the Puerto Montt region. While the crew was successfully rescued from the scene, the aircraft type was lost when it sank following the impact with the water.
Findings
- The sequence of events began with a mechanical failure in the left engine.
- An attempt to compensate for the loss of power via the right engine resulted in a secondary engine explosion.
- The primary cause of the accident was an engine malfunction during flight.