South America

On November 28, 2000, at 0625 eastern standard time, a Fairchild SA227AC transport category airplane, N3107P, was substantially damaged while landing with an unsafe gear indication on the right main landing gear at the Trujillo International Airport, near Trujillo, Peru. The two commercial pilots aboard the cargo flight were not injured. The airplane was owned by Joda LLC, of Town and Country, Missouri, and was being operated as a cargo freighter by Aero Condor S.A., of Lima, Peru. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cargo flight for which a VFR flight plan was filed. The scheduled cargo flight originated from the Lima International Airport, near Lima, Peru, approximately 0530. The operator reported that the flight crew had reported a complete loss of hydraulic power prior to initiating the approach. The flight crew was not able to extend the right main landing gear due to a leak in a hydraulic line in the right landing gear well. The runway was foamed and the crew performed an emergency landing with the other two landing gears extended. Examination of the airplane by the operator revealed structural damage to the right wing and the underside section of the tail section of the airplane. The right engine and the 4-propeller blades for the right engine were also damaged. Both pilots were uninjured.

The twin engine aircraft departed Pereira-Macareña Airport in the afternoon on a flight to Bogotá-El Dorado Airport, carrying six passengers and two pilots. The flight was completed at an altitude of 15,000 feet and the crew was eventually cleared to start the descent to Bogotá for an approach to runway 13R. Shortly later, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a wooded area located near Sasaima, about 42 km northwest of Bogotá Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact and all eight occupants were killed.

The airplane departed Manta-Eloy Alfaro Airport at 1711LT on a cargo flight to San Pablo, carrying one passenger, two pilots (among them an instructor) and a Load consisting of 70 boxes of shrimp larvae. En route, while cruising at an altitude of 5,000 feet, the right engine suffered power fluctuations. The instructor pilot switched on the auxiliary fuel pump and changed the fuel mixture but the engine problems persisted. On final approach to San Pablo, the right engine failed and the crew continued the approach on one engine. Following a high approach, the aircraft landed too far down the runway, about 292 metres from the runway end. It bounced and landed firmly six metres further. Realizing that the runway distance available was insufficient, the instructor pilot decided to initiate a go-around procedure. The aircraft climbed to a height of about 20 metres then impacted ground 140 metres to the right of the runway centreline and 26 metres past the runway end. The copilot was killed and both other occupants were seriously injured.

The crew departed Apiay AFB on a flight to Pereira, carrying seven crew members who were taking part to a supply mission to ground troops fighting FARC soldiers who attacked communications relays. While cruising at an altitude of 11,200 feet in poor weather conditions, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Montezuma located about 5 km northwest of Pueblo Rico. All seven occupants were killed.

On final approach to San Juan de Manapiare Airport in bad weather conditions, the single engine aircraft crashed on hilly terrain. The pilot and two passengers were killed while three other occupants were injured.

En route from Santiago to Coyhaique, the crew encountered severe icing conditions and was cleared to divert to Puerto Montt Airport. Few minutes later, the aircraft lost height and crashed on the slope of Mt Michimahuida. The wreckage was found on August 21. All 14 occupants were killed.

The aircraft, registered to a private individual, departed Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport on a charter flight to Mitú, carrying 17 passengers and two pilots while the aircraft was certified to carry 13 passengers maximum. The crew filed an flight plan with only six people on board. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the right engine caught fire. The crew activated the fire extinguishing system but as both bottles were empty, the fire could not be contained. The captain initiated a right hand turn to return to the airport when the aircraft stalled and crashed, bursting into flames, two minutes after takeoff. Both pilots and eight passengers were killed while nine other people were injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

The twin engine aircraft departed a private strip in Itapuranga on a flight to Goiânia, carrying seven passengers and two pilots. About 10 minutes after takeoff, while in cruising altitude, the captain informed ATC about the failure of the right engine. Because the flight was short (25 minutes in total), he decided to continue to Goiânia. Twelve minutes later, the left engine failed as well. The crew declared an emergency and as he was unable to reach Goiânia Airport, he attempted an emergency landing in a pasture. The aircraft crash landed 13 km short of runway 14 threshold. All nine occupants were rescued, among them seven were injured, three seriously.

The twin engine aircraft was descending to Kurupung Airstrip in marginal weather conditions when it collided with trees and crashed in a wooded area located in hilly terrain. The pilot, sole on board, was killed. The aircraft was on its way to Kurupung to deliver fuel drums.

Shortly after takeoff from Belo Horizonte-Pampulha Airport, while in initial climb, the left engine failed. The pilot lost control of the aircraft that rolled to the left, lost height and crashed onto four houses located in the district of São Bernardo near the airport. The aircraft and four houses were destroyed. All three occupants were killed and two other people on the ground were injured.