What happened
On April 30, 2022, a Rockwell International 690B, registration YV3502, was performing a flight from Oscar Machado Zuloaga Airport (SVCS) in Charallave to Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base (SVFM). After completing several flight legs throughout the day, the aircraft departed SVFM at 21:42 UTC for a return flight to Charallave with one person on board. During the approach phase at approximately 21:48 UTC, air traffic control informed the pilot of another aircraft on the left circuit for runway 10. While the pilot acknowledged seeing the traffic, an air traffic controller observed the YV3502 enter a left turn and suddenly lose control. An observer noted that a component appeared to detach from the tail area of the fuselage as the aircraft began to spin and plummet toward the ground. The impact resulted in one fatality (the pilot) and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The JIAAC investigation involved a field examination of the wreckage site near Charallelle. Investigators recovered various components, including the landing gear, instruments, and the vertical stabilizer, which was found approximately 128 meters from the main impact site. The investigation included interviews with air traffic controllers, witnesses, and crew members who had flown previous legs with the deceased pilot. Authorities also inspected several maintenance organizations (OMAC) to review records related to the aircraft's airworthiness, specifically focusing on maintenance logs for the rudder torque tube and vertical stabilizer. Additionally, investigators coordinated with representatives from the NTSB and Twin Commander to inspect recovered components.