What happened
On April 3, 2017, a Rockwell Thrush S2R-T34, registered as TG-GUS, was involved in an aviation accident in the municipality of Overo, within the department of Escuintla, Guatemala. The aircraft, operated by Agroplantaciones de Platano, S.A., was performing agricultural operations at the time of the occurrence. The impact took place near the Finca Tasmania landing strip.
The investigation
The investigation conducted by the Unidad de Investigación de Accidentes (UIA) of the DGAC examined the circumstances surrounding the flight and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. Meteorological data from the nearby San José Puerto station indicated that between 07:30 and 09:30 hours, visibility was reduced due to smoke and mist. Specifically, at 08:00 hours, horizontal visibility was reported at approximately 5 kilometers due to smoke. The investigation also reviewed the maintenance records of the aircraft, noting that an annual inspection had been performed by an approved maintenance organization prior to the event.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its structure.
- Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident included reduced visibility caused by smoke.
- The aircraft was being operated for agricultural purposes.