Accident Douglas C-47A-5-DK (DC-3) HK-2663,

Date:	Thursday 7 April 2016
Time:	06:25
Type:	Douglas C-47A-5-DK (DC-3)
Owner/operator:	Aerolineas Llaneras - Arall
Registration:	HK-2663
MSN:	12352
Year of manufacture:	1944
Total airframe hrs:	23291 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	2,6 km SW of Puerto Gaitán Airport - Colombia
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Puerto Gaitán Airport (SKPG)
Destination airport:	Villavicencio Airport (VVC/SKVV)
Investigating agency:	Aerocivil
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Douglas DC-3, operated by Arall Colombia, was destroyed by fire following a forced landing near Puerto Gaitán, Colombia. The three occupants were injured.
The aircraft took off from runway 04 at Puerto Gaitán Airport about 06:22 hours local time. Upon rotation of the aircraft, the crew heard an explosion from the no.1 (left) engine. The pilot noticed that the no.1 engine cover had torn away, hitting the propeller blades. The aircraft began to lose height and speed and the crew decided to perform an emergency landing in a field.
The aircraft struck the ground causing detachment of the propellers and parts of the aircraft. After coming to rest, a post-impact fire started that consumed much of the aircraft.
An inspection of the engine revealed that one of the cylinder heads had broken away. Parts were found near the end of the runway.

Probable cause:
Wrong application by the crew of the emergency procedure due to engine No. 1 failure, since they reduced the RPM of the operative engine (No. 2), causing the BMEP limit to be exceeded, producing an engine stall (No. 2), making the flight of the plane impossible and forcing the execution of a forced landing.

Contributing Factors:
Engine failure No. 1, caused by the detachment of the head of a cylinder during take-off.
Deficient maintenance procedures that did not anticipate or prevent component failure.

Accident investigation: