Incident Overview

Date: Monday 16 August 2004
Aircraft Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Owner/operator: AeroPerlas
Registration Number: HP-1397APP
Location: ca. 9 km W of Panama-Albrook Marcos A. Gelabert Airport (BLB) – ÿ Panama
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7
Component Affected: Compressor Turbine Disc (CTD)Compressor Turbine Disc (CTD)
Investigating Agency: AAC PanamaAAC Panama
Category: Accident
AeroPerlas flight 460, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, experienced a sudden loss of engine power during landing, resulting in a forced landing on the road to Puerto Vacamonte. The aircraft’s sudden deceleration caused the detachment of a compressor turbine disc blade, leading to engine stoppage and propeller feathering.AeroPerlas flight 460, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, experienced a sudden loss of engine power during landing, resulting in a forced landing on the road to Puerto Vacamonte. The aircraft’s sudden deceleration caused the detachment of a compressor turbine disc blade, leading to engine stoppage and propeller feathering.

Description

AeroPerlas flight 460, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, force landed following a loss of engine power. The aircraft took off from runway 36 at Panama City Albrook-Marcos A. Gelabert International Airport (PAC) and was cleared to climb to 6000 feet. Almost reaching 6000 feet, at cruise altitude and about 4 NM from Puerto Vacamonte, a loud noise was heard in the front part of the engine, as if something was being shredded very rapidly and strongly; the engine stopped, and the propeller feathered. An emergency was declared, and a forced landing was executed on the road to Puerto Vacamonte. The airplane struck a tree, sustaining substantial damage. CONCLUSIONS The cause of the accident involving the Cessna Caravan 208B aircraft was the sudden stoppage of the engine due to the detachment of a blade from the compressor turbine disc (Compressor Turbine Disc, CTD), which broke several blades and internal parts of the engine. Events that contributed to the accident: a) The sudden stoppage of the engine. b) The lack of a nearby runway relative to the flight altitude. c) The time lost in making the decision to land the aircraft, due to the uncertainty at the moment regarding altitude loss and the aircraft’s gliding. d) The area chosen for the forced landing due to the circumstances, as there were obstacles that were difficult to avoid in order to make contact with the pavement such as automobiles, a tractor, trees, and the narrowness of the pavement necessary to keep the airplane aligned on the landing path and manage to stop it on the two-lane road.

Primary Cause

Sudden stoppage of the engine due to the detachment of a blade from the compressor turbine disc (CTD).Sudden stoppage of the engine due to the detachment of a blade from the compressor turbine disc (CTD).

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