What happened
On February 23, 2016, a Piper Cherokee PA-28-140, registered as TG-PEW, was involved in an accident in the vicinity of Volc andán de Agua, located in the municipality of Palín, Escuintla, Guatemala. The aircraft was operating in the region during a period of variable meteorological conditions. Following the impact with the volcanic terrain, the aircraft sustained substantial structural damage.
The investigation
The investigation conducted by the Unidad de Investigación de Accidentes (UIA) of the DGAC examined the aircraft's maintenance history, meteorological conditions, and the flight's final moments. Records from the aircraft's maintenance logs indicated that the engine, a Textron Lycoming O-320-E2A, and the airframe had undergone recent inspections and 100-hour services.
Meteorological data from La Aurora International Airport, the nearest station to the impact site, provided observations for the window between 11:00 and 13:00 hours on the day of the accident. During this time, winds were recorded from the south at approximately 16 knots, with visibility exceeding 10 kilometers and scattered to few clouds at 2,000 feet. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's technical components, including the Sensenich propeller and flight controls, to determine if mechanical failure played a role in the loss of control.