Venezuelan Investigation of Cessna 402B Wing Damage (YV2321)

Overview and Investigation Authority On January 19, 2011, the pilot of a privately used Cessna 402B, registration YV2321, discovered damage to the underside of the right wing while refueling at Oscar Machado Zuloaga Airport (SVCS). The pilot reported the incident to the Dirección General para la Prevención e Investigación de Accidentes Aéreos (DGPIAAE), the Venezuelan authority responsible for aviation accident investigations. The investigation was conducted under the administrative framework of Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention, with the primary objective of preventing similar occurrences rather than assigning legal fault. ## Aircraft and Personnel Details The aircraft was a 1972 Cessna 402B with serial number 402B0211 and a maximum takeoff weight of 6,300 pounds. At the time of the incident, the airframe had accumulated 6,791.2 total hours. The pilot in command was a 58-year-old Venezuelan male holding an Airline Transport Pilot license for airplanes, with instrument and multi-engine ratings. ## Incident Circumstances and Damage The aircraft's last scheduled itinerary was completed on January 15, 2011, involving routes between SVCS, Hato Piñero, Hato El Cedral, Mantecal, and SVCS. The pilot stated that he was unaware of how or where the wing damage occurred. The investigation found that the airframe sustained significant damage, while the engines and propellers remained undamaged. No injuries were reported among the crew or passengers, and there was no evidence of collateral damage at the location of the incident.