Incident Overview
On February 25, 2025, at approximately 22:50 UTC, a Piper PA-25-150 Pawnee with registration LV-ICU was involved in an accident classified as fuel-related. The incident occurred in the rural zone of Pinzón, within Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, although no injuries were reported to the personnel on board.
Flight Details and Sequence of Events
The aircraft departed from Pergamino Aerodrome at approximately 19:00 local time for a non-commercial flight training operation. During the cruise phase, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power. Consequently, the pilot decided to execute an emergency landing in an unprepared field located near Pinzón, approximately 9 kilometers from the departure aerodrome. The total flight duration was recorded as 0.3 hours.
Aircraft and Operational Data
The aircraft is a fixed-wing small aeroplane manufactured in 1961, with serial number 25-575. It is powered by a Lycoming O-320-A2B engine (serial L-12355-27) and equipped with a Sensenich 74DM6-0-52 propeller. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 5,035.4 total flight hours, while the engine had logged 5,156.2 hours. The pilot-in-command was a 51-year-old male commercial pilot holding an aeroplane license. He had 468.7 total hours on type and 3 hours in the preceding 90 days.
Environmental and Impact Conditions
Meteorological conditions at the time were Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) with daylight visibility of 12,000 meters. The wind was calm from 110 degrees at 3 knots. The impact occurred on level, flat grass terrain at an elevation of 269 feet. The aircraft impacted at a low speed and angle, coming to rest with wings level and nose level. The pilot used an upper body restraint system and escaped within one minute.