Date & Time:
Mar 1, 2010 at 1346 LT
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
Operator:
Registration:
CC-PGY
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Humanitarian
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tobalaba - Concepción
MSN:
31-7401257
YOM:
1974
Country:
Chile
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
11
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
5
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
16
Captain / Total hours on type:
81
Aircraft flight hours:
3167
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was performing a special flight from Tobalaba to Concepción with a team of five experts from the Santo Tomás University. While descending to Concepción-Carriel Sur Airport in poor weather conditions, aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located some 20 km north of airport, near Tomé. All six occupants were killed. They should inspect installations in Concepción following the earthquake from 27FEB2010.
Probable cause:
Pilot continued the approach in low visibility and let the aircraft flying below the minimum safe altitude. At the time of impact, aircraft was ten degrees off track (017° radial) for a runway 20 approach in IMC. Consequently, investigators feel that the accident was caused by a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). Poor efficiency in procedures execution on part of the pilot by executing an approach in IMC with a twin engine aircraft was considered as a contributory factor, and his relative low experience on type.
Final Report:
CC-PGY1.pdf19.38 MB
