What happened
On August 4, 2023, a Cessna 182M, registration YV1824, was performing a general aviation flight from the Iteweken Indigenous Community to Santa Elena de Uairén (SVSE) in Bolívar State, Venezuela. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and one passenger.
While on final approach to the runway, approximately 3 nautical miles from the airport, the engine began to fail. By the time the aircraft reached roughly 1.5 nautical miles from the field, the engine had completely stopped. The pilot attempted to follow emergency procedures as outlined in the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) to restart the engine, but these efforts were unsuccessful.
At 1s6:10 UTC, the pilot performed an emergency landing in a savanna area located approximately 0.5 nautical miles from runway 11 of SVSE. The aircraft traveled at approximately 40 knots across the terrain for about 100 meters before being stopped by dense vegetation. While the crew and passenger were uninjured, the aircraft sustained substantial damage, including dents and perforations to the fuselage, both wing leading edges, wing tips, and horizontal stabilizer tips.
The investigation
The JIAAC investigation examined the engine failure and the subsequent landing. The authorities reviewed the aircraft's maintenance records, flight logs, and the circumstances surrounding the fuel used during the flight.