Región de Valparaíso | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew departed Viña del Mar-Torquemada Airport on a positioning flight to Santiago de Chile. Shortly after takeoff, the crew encountered technical problems and elected to return. On approach, both engines failed and on short final by night, the aircraft stalled and crashed 450 metres short of runway 05. Both pilots escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Both engines stopped during flight due to fuel exhaustion as the main fuel tanks were empty. It was not possible for the crew to transfer fuel from the auxiliary tanks (wing tips) due to the intermittent function of the fuel pump.

Final Report:

Crash of a Dornier DO228-202K in Viña del Mar: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 2013 at 0950 LT

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO228

Operator:

Registration:

CC-CNW

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Coquimbo - Viña del Mar

MSN:

8063

YOM:

1986

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

15537

Captain / Total hours on type:

12431.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

10777

Aircraft flight hours:

25012

Circumstances:

The crew departed Coquimbo on a positioning flight to Viña del Mar to pick up passengers who need to fly to a mining area located in Los Perlambres. As the ILS system was inoperative, the crew was forced to complete a non-precision approach to runway 05. The visibility was poor due to foggy conditions. On final approach, while the aircraft was unstable, the crew descended below the MDA until the aircraft collided with power cables and crashed in an open field located about 1,8 km short of runway. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain following the decision of the crew to continue the approach below the MDA without visual contact with the runway until the aircraft impacted ground.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Failure to apply the concepts of Crew Resource Management (CRM).
- Failure to use checklists.
- Failure to brief the maneuvers to be executed.
- Loss of situational awareness of the crew.
- Failure to keep a sterile cockpit during approach.
- Complacency and overconfidence of the pilots.
- Unstabilized instrument approach.
- Lack and/or non-use of equipment and systems to support the flight.

Final Report:

Crash of a Casa 212 Aviocar 300DF off Robinson Crusoe Island: 21 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 2011 at 1748 LT

Type of aircraft:

Casa 212 Aviocar

Operator:

Registration:

966

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Santiago - Robinson Crusoe Island

MSN:

443

YOM:

1994

Location:

Robinson Crusoe Island

Región de Valparaíso

Country:

Chile

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft departed Santiago de Chile-Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez (Pudahuel) Airport on a special flight to Robinson Crusoe Island, carrying 17 passengers and a crew of four. The flight was organized by NGO's in cooperation with the Chilean National Television to see the progress of the reconstruction on the island of Robinson Crusoe following the 2010 earthquake. Among the occupants were members of the National Television and also from the Council of Culture. The famous Chilean television icon Felipe Camiroaga Fernández was among the passengers. Following an almost 3-hour flight, the crew completed a low pass over the runway 14 then started the approach to runway 32 from the sea. At an altitude of about 650 feet, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, rolled to the left to an angle of 90° and impacted the sea. Debris were found floating on water and the main wreckage was later found about one km southeast from the airport. All 21 occupants were killed.

Personnel from the Chilean Air Force:
Lt Carolina Fernández Quinteros,
Lt Juan Pablo Mallea Lagos,
1st Sgt Eduardo Jones San Martín,
1st Cpl Eduardo Estrada Muñoz,
2nd Cpl Flavio Oliva Pino,
2nd Cpl Erwin Núñez Rebolledo,
Cdt Rodrigo Fernández Apablaza,
José Cifuentes Juica.

Council of Culture:
Galia Diaz Riffo,
Romina Irarrázabal Faggiani.

Chilean National Television:
Felipe Camiroaga Fernández,
Roberto Bruce Pruzzo,
Sylvia Slier Munoz,
Caroline Gatica Aburto,
Rodrigo Cabezón de Amesti.

Members of the 'Desafío Levantemos Chile' NGO:
Felipe Cubillos Sigall,
Sebastián Correa Murillo,
Catalina Vela Montero,
Joel Lizama Nahuelhual,
Jorge Palma Calvo,
Joaquín Arnolds Reyes.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by the loss of control of the airplane while performing the tailwind leg through the channel between the islands of Robinson Crusoe and Santa Clara to an estimated height of 650 feet or less, during the circuit approach to Runway 32 in a very low trajectory (with little height difference above the runway), where very adverse airflow conditions were found, including wind shear, which exposed the crew to extreme flight conditions.
Adverse airflow conditions were the results of a combination of different factors, including:
- Very unstable atmosphere, with strong turbulence and possibly eventually powerful down gusts arising from the presence of open cells after a front passed,
- The presence of the two counter-rotating vortexes in the Santa Clara Island downwind wake,
- The presence of strong and gusty crosswinds that were very variable in strength and direction in a very short time.

Crash of a Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II in Valparaiso

Date & Time: Apr 15, 2011 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Piper PA-31 Cheyenne

Operator:

Línea de Aeroservicios - LASSA

Registration:

CC-CZC

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Robinson Crusoe Island - Valparaiso

MSN:

31-7920072

YOM:

1979

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7396

Captain / Total hours on type:

1092.00

Aircraft flight hours:

7168

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft departed Robinson Crusoe Island on a cargo flight to Valparaiso, carrying one passenger, one pilot and a load consisting of 1,000 lbs of lobsters. Upon landing at Valparaiso Airport in good weather conditions, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway, crossed a road and came to rest in a wooded area located along the highway. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and both occupants escaped with minor injuries.

Probable cause:

The most likely cause of the accident would have been the loss of control of the aircraft when performing the flare, caused by a loss of lift (stall), because the CofG was beyond the rear limit.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The aircraft was unstable on its longitudinal axis because the CofG was too far aft,
- The cargo was not properly secured in the cabin.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo off Robinson Crusoe Island

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1991

Type of aircraft:

Piper PA-31-310 Navajo

Operator:

Línea Aérea Taxpa

Registration:

CC-CGP

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

31-597

YOM:

1970

Location:

Robinson Crusoe Island

Región de Valparaíso

Country:

Chile

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from Robinson Crusoe Island, en route for the continent, the crew encountered engine problems and elected to ditch the aircraft about 13 km offshore. The crew of a fishing boat was able to rescue all four occupant while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Beechcraft B80 Queen Air in San Felipe: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 20, 1987 at 1945 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft 80 Queen Air

Operator:

Registration:

CC-CDW

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

La Serena - Santiago

MSN:

LD-126

YOM:

1963

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft departed La Serena-La Florida Airport at 1900LT on a regular schedule service to Santiago de Chile. About 45 minutes into the flight, the crew encountered engine problems, declared an emergency and was cleared to divert to San Felipe Airport. On approach, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a peach plantation located 10 km from the airport, bursting into flames. A passenger was seriously injured while eight other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the accident was the consequence of a double engine failure caused by fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Casa 212 Aviocar 100 near Cabildo: 11 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1986

Type of aircraft:

Casa 212 Aviocar

Operator:

Registration:

148

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

141

YOM:

1978

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain located 19 km south of Cabildo. All 11 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A off Quintero: 9 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1975

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

125

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Quintero, killing all nine occupants.

Crash of a Grumman HU-16B Albatross near Quilpué: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 1, 1973

Type of aircraft:

Grumman HU-16 (SA-16) Albatross

Operator:

Registration:

251

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route, a technical problem occurred on the fuel supply system, causing a loss of engine power. The captain elected to fly over the mountains surrounding Quilpué on one engine but the seaplane struck a hill and crashed. Three crew members were killed while three others were injured.

Probable cause:

Loss of engine power caused by a technical problem on the fuel supply system.