Piper PA-31-325 accident near Chia, CO, October 3, 2015
On October 3, 2015 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-325, registered HK3909G, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Chia (Guaymaral Airport). It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. 2 people were killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2015 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chia, Colombia · Guaymaral Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-325 · all PA-31-325s on the register
- Registration
- HK3909G · no longer on the register · serial 31-7612070
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 3, 2015, about 1715 UTC, a Piper PA-31-325, Colombian registration HK3909G, registered to and operated by El Caminante Air S.A., collided with a structure then rolled inverted during a forced landing in a field near Hipodromo de los Andes, Chia, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed for the non-U.S., non-commercial flight from Guaymaral Airport (SKGY), Bogota, Colombia, to Olaya Herrera Airport (SKMD), Medellin, Colombia. The airplane was destroyed by impact and a postcrash fire. The commercial pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight originated about 2 minutes earlier from SKGY. According to the Colombia investigator-in-charge, about 2 minutes after takeoff, the pilot declared an emergency and advised the controller that he intended to perform an emergency landing to a field that was in sight. During approach to the field, the airplane collided with structure, rolled inverted, and collided with terrain. A postcrash fire occurred. This investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Colombia. Any further information can be obtained from: Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aeronautica Civil Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado Bogota, Colombia Telephone: 571.425.1000 This report is for informational purposes only, and contains information released by or obtained for the Government of Colombia.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during takeoff defining event
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: El Caminante Air S.A.
The flight
- Departed from: SKGY Guaymaral at 5:10 pm
- Destination: SKMD Medellin
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from SKBO, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.