Cessna U206F accident in Puerto Ayacucho due to wind shear (YV1089)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On October 27, 2022, the Venezuelan civil aviation accident investigation board released a provisional report (Expediente 054/2021) concerning an accident involving a Cessna U206F. The aircraft, manufactured by Cessna Aircraft Company, was registered under the type certificate A4CE issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and was operated for private general aviation. At the time of the incident, the aircraft held valid standard airworthiness and registration certificates issued by the Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil (INAC), the aeronautical authority of the state of registration. ## Flight Sequence and Accident Description The flight departed from Aeropuerto Cacique Aramare in Puerto Ayacucho (SVPA), Amazonas State, with a destination of Pista Shamauka, also in Amazonas State. Two individuals were on board. After completing the takeoff phase, the pilot set full power, confirmed the engine parameters were within the green arc, and released the brakes. At 55 knots, the pilot rotated the aircraft. Approximately 20 seconds after becoming airborne and at low altitude, the pilot encountered a strong tailwind gust, causing the aircraft to sink with power. The airspeed progressively decreased to 45 knots, and the aircraft began to contact jungle vegetation, further reducing its speed. The pilot secured the aircraft by cutting the mixture, moving the fuel lever to the “OFF” position, and turning off the magnetos. The aircraft then descended to the ground. Upon impact, the aircraft traveled approximately 100 meters, with the tips of each wing striking two small trees. The aircraft then slowly overturned and came to rest at the end of the runway. Both the pilot and the passenger were uninjured, while the aircraft sustained significant damage. ## Meteorological Conditions and Maintenance According to the METAR report, weather conditions at the departure airport were unlimited and favorable for operations under instrument flight rules (IFR). The last scheduled maintenance services were performed by OMAC-N: 541, Organización de Mantenimiento Aeronáutico Wapatata, located at Aeropuerto Cacique Aramare in Amazonas State. ## Pilot Qualifications The pilot in command was 44 years old and held a valid commercial pilot license and medical certificate issued by the INAC. The pilot’s ratings included single-engine land, multi-engine land, instrument flight, AC90 co-pilot, and C206B. The pilot had 2,563.5 hours of flight time in the involved aircraft, 2,300 hours as pilot in command, and 6,849.2 total flight hours. ## Investigation Activities The investigation included the review of the aircraft’s maintenance records, including airworthiness directives, scheduled maintenance compliance, component checks, and registration and airworthiness certificates. The pilot’s documentation, including the license, medical certificate, training certificates, and instrument flight simulator hours, was also reviewed. Photographic records of the aircraft at the accident site were taken, and the pilot in command was interviewed. ## Probable Cause The investigation board determined that the primary causal factor was loss of lift due to a thermal/dynamic gradient (wind shear). The aircraft encountered a severe tailwind gust during the critical initial climb phase. This meteorological phenomenon caused an immediate degradation of aerodynamic performance, resulting in a powered sink and insufficient altitude and speed for recovery before contact with the vegetation.