
Narrative:
The DC-3 aircraft with registration HK-2494, operated by LASER, was prepared to make a non-scheduled passenger flight between Taraira Airport (SKTR) and the aerodrome Villavicencio (SKVV) in Colombia. The aircraft took off at 06:13 hours local time with a crew of three, eight passengers and 500 kgs of cargo.
Adverse weather conditions were encountered en route and the crew decided divert to Miraflores (SKMF) where it landed at 07:39. There two more passengers boarded the flight for Villavicencio.
At 08:34 the aircraft took off from Miraflores and flew to San Jose del Guaviare (SKSJ) to refuel, where it landed at 09:14. The aircraft was fueled and the crew submitted a flight plan to Villavicencio with a total flight time of 45 minutes an altitude of 8,500 feet. Prior to departure one more passenger boarded the flight.
The aircraft took off at 09:55. At 10:15, when the aircraft was climbing through 8,100 feet and approximately 59NM (109 km) from Villavicencio, the flight reported engine problems and their failure to feather the propeller.
At the crew's request, ATC provided information on the location of several aerodromes in the area and the crew chose to proceed to La Rinconada aerodrome.
The aircraft lost altitude and last radio contact was at 10:32 when the crew radioed that they had a runway in sight, with no further information.
At 10:34 the aircraft hit the ground of a palm plantation with a high angle of descent and low speed. Flaps and undercarriage were retracted at the time of the accident. The aircraft slid across a gravel road and burst into flames.
Probable Cause(s).
The investigation determined that the accident was caused by the following probable causes:
- Loss of control in-flight as a consequence of the decrease in minimum in-flight control speed and drag generated by the impossibility of performing the No. 1 engine propeller feathering in the face of engine failure.
- Malfunction of the lubrication system of engine No. 1, evident in the abundant oil leakage from the engine, in flight, and in the governor of the left propeller; although discrepancies were found in the maintenance of the propeller feathering pressure line, it was not possible to determine the origin of the oil leakage.
- Weaknesses in the aircraft Operator's operational procedures, lacking a standard that would facilitate a crew's decision making to act in the event of critical failures, in matters such as making an emergency landing on unprepared field or the selection of an alternate airfield.
Contributing Factors:
- Deficiencies in standard maintenance practices during repairs performed on the No. 1 engine's propeller propeller feathering oil pressure line.
- Non-compliance with an effective and reliable maintenance program, which did not verify the operating conditions of the aircraft components; it was not possible to determine compliance with the last 50-hour service, Phase A, to engine No. 1 according to the company's maintenance program, since there are no records of that service in the Flight Log.
- Inefficient safety management system of the Operator for not detecting errors in the maintenance processes and in the conduct and control of operations.
Loss of control
» Aerocivil
accident date: 09-03-2019
type: Douglas DC-3
registration: HK-2494
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Saturday 9 March 2019 |
| Time: | 10:36 |
| Type: |  Douglas DC-3 |
| Operator: | LASER Aéreo Colombia |
| Registration: | HK-2494 |
| MSN: | 33105/16357 |
| First flight: | 1945 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 27308 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 14 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Finca La Bendición, San MartÃn ( Colombia)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | San Jose del Guaviare-Jorge E. González T. Airport (SJE/SKSJ), Colombia |
| Villavicencio Airport (VVC/SKVV), Colombia |
The DC-3 aircraft with registration HK-2494, operated by LASER, was prepared to make a non-scheduled passenger flight between Taraira Airport (SKTR) and the aerodrome Villavicencio (SKVV) in Colombia. The aircraft took off at 06:13 hours local time with a crew of three, eight passengers and 500 kgs of cargo.
Adverse weather conditions were encountered en route and the crew decided divert to Miraflores (SKMF) where it landed at 07:39. There two more passengers boarded the flight for Villavicencio.
At 08:34 the aircraft took off from Miraflores and flew to San Jose del Guaviare (SKSJ) to refuel, where it landed at 09:14. The aircraft was fueled and the crew submitted a flight plan to Villavicencio with a total flight time of 45 minutes an altitude of 8,500 feet. Prior to departure one more passenger boarded the flight.
The aircraft took off at 09:55. At 10:15, when the aircraft was climbing through 8,100 feet and approximately 59NM (109 km) from Villavicencio, the flight reported engine problems and their failure to feather the propeller.
At the crew's request, ATC provided information on the location of several aerodromes in the area and the crew chose to proceed to La Rinconada aerodrome.
The aircraft lost altitude and last radio contact was at 10:32 when the crew radioed that they had a runway in sight, with no further information.
At 10:34 the aircraft hit the ground of a palm plantation with a high angle of descent and low speed. Flaps and undercarriage were retracted at the time of the accident. The aircraft slid across a gravel road and burst into flames.
Probable Cause:
Probable Cause(s).
The investigation determined that the accident was caused by the following probable causes:
- Loss of control in-flight as a consequence of the decrease in minimum in-flight control speed and drag generated by the impossibility of performing the No. 1 engine propeller feathering in the face of engine failure.
- Malfunction of the lubrication system of engine No. 1, evident in the abundant oil leakage from the engine, in flight, and in the governor of the left propeller; although discrepancies were found in the maintenance of the propeller feathering pressure line, it was not possible to determine the origin of the oil leakage.
- Weaknesses in the aircraft Operator's operational procedures, lacking a standard that would facilitate a crew's decision making to act in the event of critical failures, in matters such as making an emergency landing on unprepared field or the selection of an alternate airfield.
Contributing Factors:
- Deficiencies in standard maintenance practices during repairs performed on the No. 1 engine's propeller propeller feathering oil pressure line.
- Non-compliance with an effective and reliable maintenance program, which did not verify the operating conditions of the aircraft components; it was not possible to determine compliance with the last 50-hour service, Phase A, to engine No. 1 according to the company's maintenance program, since there are no records of that service in the Flight Log.
- Inefficient safety management system of the Operator for not detecting errors in the maintenance processes and in the conduct and control of operations.
Accident investigation:

 |
|
Classification:
Loss of control
Sources:
» elespectador.com» Aerocivil
Follow-up / safety actions
Aerocivil issued 8 Safety Recommendations
Show all...
Show all...
Photos
accident date: 09-03-2019
type: Douglas DC-3
registration: HK-2494
Video, social media
#ÚltimaHora Un avión DC3 HK2494 con 12 ocupantes se vino a tierra San Carlos de Guaroa y San MartÃn, la aeronave venÃa de San José del Guaviare a viilao, se ha conocido que una de sus ocupantes era la alcaldesa del municipio de Taraira - Vaupes Doris Lizeth Villegas Chará. pic.twitter.com/uYILpubgoY
— Camioneros de Colombia (@manfrip_74) 9 maart 2019
#InformaciónOficial con respecto al accidente de aeronave ocurrido esta mañana en la Vereda La Bendición, en cercanÃas a Villavicencio. pic.twitter.com/pLcxUcSRAj
— Aeronáutica Civil de Colombia (@AeroCivilCol) March 9, 2019
Alrededor de las 10:40 a.m. se registró en San Carlos de Guaroa, Colombia el accidente de un DC-3 con matrÃcula HK-2494 de la empresa Láser que cubrÃa la ruta San José del Guaviare-Villavicencio. Las 12 personas que viajaban a bordo perdieron la vida. pic.twitter.com/MTdeZ0ndAL
— EnElAire (@Enel_Aire) 9 maart 2019
Aircraft history
| date | registration | operator | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 44-76773 | USAAF | |
| April 1945 | 99826 | US Navy | |
| 8 Oct. 1971 | N87611 | University of Texas | registered |
| 6 Aug. 1980 | N87611 | Freedom Export | registered |
| 29 Oct. 1980 | HK-2494 | SAEP | |
| 1997 | HK-2494 | SAEP | stored Bogotá |
| 9 Sept. 1999 | HK-2494 | SADELCA | |
| Oct. 2015 | HK-2494 | LASER |
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from San Jose del Guaviare-Jorge E. González T. Airport to Villavicencio Airport as the crow flies is 206 km (129 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.
Distance from San Jose del Guaviare-Jorge E. González T. Airport to Villavicencio Airport as the crow flies is 206 km (129 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2023 Flight Safety Foundation