What happened
A cargo flight departed from runway 08 at Cayenne-Rochambeau-Félix Éboué Airport at 14:48 local time, bound for Maripasoula. The aircraft, a single-engine plane, was operating with a pilot and one female passenger on board. Approximately three minutes after departure, while maintaining an altitude of 1,500 feet, the pilot experienced engine difficulties. An emergency was declared, and the aircraft was authorized to return to the departure airport.
The aircraft landed at 14:52 local time. Following some mechanical checks and adjustments to the engine, the aircraft departed again at 15:07 local time. However, within less than one minute of the second takeoff, the engine suffered a loss of power. The pilot issued a second emergency declaration and attempted to return to the airport. During the final approach, the aircraft lost altitude and struck vegetation roughly 800 meters before reaching runway 26. The impact resulted in one serious injury and one slight injury. The aircraft was completely destroyed during the accident.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced repeated engine power loss during consecutive flight attempts.