On December 3, 2014, a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain (registration HK-4464) operated by Nacional de Aviacion was involved in an aviation accident near Mariquita, Colombia during landing or approach. 10 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was the consequence of the malfunction of the right engine in flight, causing a loss of speed and a subsequent stall. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A twin-engine charter flight from Bogotá to Bahía Solano crashed during an emergency landing approach after reporting engine trouble. The aircraft stalled and was destroyed; all 10 occupants died. The investigation found right engine malfunction as the cause.
Accident Details
The twin-engine aircraft departed Bogotá-Guaymaral Airport on a charter flight to Bahía Solano. On board were eight passengers and two pilots. While cruising, the crew reported engine trouble to air traffic control and received clearance to divert to Mariquita-José Celestino Mutis Airport for an emergency landing. While on final approach to runway 19, the aircraft stalled and subsequently crashed into hilly, wooded terrain. The impact and a post-crash fire completely destroyed the aircraft. All 10 occupants sustained fatal injuries. There were no survivors.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
According to the official investigation, the probable cause of the accident was the malfunction of the right engine in flight, which caused a loss of speed and a subsequent stall. Several contributing factors were identified: limited operation of the aircraft due to the inoperative engine, low speed, insufficient distance from the ground to recover from the stall, and maintenance that did not follow the manufacturer's procedures during the aircraft's six-month parking period.