Incident Overview
On December 13, 2021, at 13:15 UTC, aircraft registration YV2794 departed Simón Bolívar International Airport (SVMI) in Maiquetía, Venezuela. The Boeing 737-2B7C was operating a scheduled commercial passenger flight to General en Jefe Santiago Mariño International Airport in El Yaque.
Operational Sequence
During the climb phase, shortly after retracting the landing gear, the crew received a warning light indicating a hydraulic system failure. Inspection of the fluid level indicator showed zero, followed by low pressure readings in Hydraulic System A. The flight crew notified SVMI approach control and requested to return to the departure airport.
Emergency Procedures and Landing
The crew executed the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) procedures for a System A failure. The aircraft landed safely at SVMI with no injuries to occupants and no reported damage to the airframe. However, the aircraft was unable to taxi off the runway because nose wheel steering relies exclusively on Hydraulic System A. The plane was subsequently towed to the terminal where passengers disembarked.
Aircraft and Crew Details
The aircraft is a twin-engine turbofan jet manufactured by Boeing Co., serial number 22887, powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 engines. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 117,000 lb and is certified for transport category operations. The operator is Avior Airlines C.A., supported by maintenance organization OMAC-N 440.
The pilot-in-command was 34 years old with 5,400 flight hours and held a Captain rating for the B732 and B734. The co-pilot was 27 years old with 3,400 flight hours and held a Commercial Pilot license with type ratings for the B732 and B734.
Environmental Conditions
Weather conditions at the time were favorable, with winds from 070° at 3 knots and unlimited visibility. The investigation was conducted by the Venezuelan authorities under case file 061/2021, with notifications sent to the ICAO ADREP system and the NTSB.