What happened
During an arrival at a field with muddy terrain, the aircraft's landing gear descended approximately 50 cm into the soft earth before the vehicle stopped moving. In an attempt to recover the plane, personnel positioned wooden planks beneath the wheels to create a makeshift ramp.
As the crew applied engine power to maneuver the aircraft across the planks, the propeller of the number one engine made contact with the ground and broke apart. The resulting fragments from the propeller strike hit the second engine, which triggered an immediate fire. The flames spread rapidly through the airframe, leading to the total destruction of the aircraft type during the incident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the fire was the impact of debris from a disintegrated propeller hitting the second engine.
- The initial instability was caused by the undercarriage sinking into soft, muddy ground.
- All six crew members involved in the operation escaped the event without any injuries.