What happened
On December 23, 2011, a Cessna 172K, registered as TG-JSC, was involved in an aviation accident in Guatemala. The aircraft impacted the ground at Finca San Francisco, located in the municipality of La Gomera, within the department of Escuintla.
The investigation
The investigation conducted by the Unidad de Investigación de Accidentes (UIA) of the DGAC examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the meteorological conditions at the time of the event. Records indicated that the aircraft had recently undergone an annual inspection by an approved maintenance organization to renew its airworthiness certificate.
Meteorological data from the Puerto de San José station for the morning of the accident showed calm winds, visibility greater than ten kilometers, and no significant weather phenomena (CAVOK). Temperatures during the period between 07:00 and 09:00 local time ranged from 22°C to 25°C, with no adverse weather conditions reported that would have impacted flight operations.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating under stable meteorological conditions with high visibility and calm winds.
- The Cessna 172K had a documented maintenance history, including a recent annual inspection completed in late 2011.
- The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the impact at the Finca San Francisco site.