Accident de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 HP-1281APP, Tuesday 11 January 2005

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Date:	Tuesday 11 January 2005
Time:
Type:	de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300
Owner/operator:	Aeroperlas
Registration:	HP-1281APP
MSN:	407
Year of manufacture:	1974
Engine model:	P&W Canada PT6A-27
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, repaired
Category:	Accident
Location:	Panama-Albrook Marcos A. Gelabert Airport (BLB) - Panama
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Passenger
Departure airport:	Balboa-Panamá Pacífico International Airport (BLB/MPPA)
Destination airport:	Chitré Airport (CTD/MPCE)
Investigating agency:	AAC El Salvador
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The aircraft, a DHC-6 Twin Otter, was taxiing from the main apron of Marcos A. Gelabert Airport towards the threshold of runway 36 for a flight to Chitré. During taxiing, the captain noticed that the nose wheel steering lever was stiffer than normal. Despite this, he continued to taxi, but because the lever remained stiff, he decided to contact the company operations and the Control Tower to return to the platform. On returning, at the turn between taxiways echo and alpha, the captain lost the effectiveness of the brakes and steering, causing the aircraft to crash into the hangar of the Mapiex company, damaging the aircraft and the wall of the hangar.

CONCLUSIONS:
The cause of the accident was due to a failure in the hydraulic system's pump pressure, which made it impossible for the crew to control the aircraft's braking and steering. The captain should have taken corrective actions and safety measures to prevent the loss of control and the impact with the hangar wall.

Accident investigation: