Summary
A charter flight carrying 11 passengers and three crew members departed San José del Guaviare for Villavicencio. While cruising at 8,500 feet in good weather, the left engine failed due to an important fuel leak. The crew secured the engine but could not feather the propeller. The aircraft lost speed and altitude; during an emergency landing attempt, control was lost, and the airplane stalled, crashing in a palm plantation and bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed by a post-crash fire, and all 14 occupants were killed.
Accident Details
The twin-engine airplane was on a charter flight between the two cities. At cruising altitude, the left engine experienced a failure attributed to a significant fuel leak. The crew elected to shut down the engine but were unable to feather the propeller, leading to increased drag. As the aircraft slowed and descended, the crew attempted an emergency landing but lost control. The airplane stalled and crashed, with ensuing fire destroying the airframe.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
Official investigation determined the probable causes:
- Loss of control in-flight due to decreased minimum in-flight control speed and drag from the inability to feather the No. 1 engine propeller after engine failure.
- Malfunction of the No. 1 engine lubrication system, evident from abundant oil leakage in flight and from the left propeller governor. While discrepancies were found in the maintenance of the propeller feathering pressure line, the origin of the oil leakage could not be determined.
- Weaknesses in the operator's operational procedures, lacking standards for crew decision-making during critical failures, such as emergency landing on unprepared fields or alternate airfield selection.
Contributing factors included:
- Deficiencies in standard maintenance practices during repairs on the No. 1 engine's propeller feathering oil pressure line.
- Non-compliance with an effective maintenance program; the 50-hour service (Phase A) on engine No. 1 could not be verified due to missing records in the flight log.
- Inefficient safety management system of the operator, failing to detect errors in maintenance processes and operational control.