What happened
On a scheduled cargo mission from Villavicencio-La Vanguardia airport toward Mitú, an aircraft carrying 12 passengers and three crew members experienced a mechanical emergency shortly after departing runway 22. The flight was transporting various goods, including food and approximately 7 tons of fuel stored in 55 drums. During the initial climb phase, the number two engine suffered a loss of power.
In response to the engine failure, the captain initiated an emergency return to the departure airport and received clearance to land on runway 22. As the aircraft transitioned into its final approach, the flight engineer deactivated the malfunctioning second engine. This action resulted in flight instability during the critical landing phase. The aircraft touched down approximately 1,700 feet beyond the runway threshold.
Due to the extended touchdown point and an inability to decelerate within the remaining pavement, the plane overran the runway and collided with an embankment. The impact caused the aircraft to burst into flames, resulting in the total destruction of the airframe. The accident resulted in four fatalities and 11 injuries among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical errors regarding the crew's management of the emergency. The approach was characterized by poor planning and execution, which left the aircraft in an unstable state during short final. A primary contributing factor was the unnecessary shutdown of engine n°2, an action that rendered the main hydraulic braking systems inoperative.
Additionally, the investigation noted that the landing speed was too high for the remaining runway length. The crew also failed to apply the brakes in a timely manner following touchdown, which prevented the aircraft from stopping before exiting the paved surface.