Colombian authorities are probing a gear-collapse incident involving an ATR 42-500 turboprop preparing for departure from San Andres.
The ATR, operated by regional carrier Satena, suffered a collapse of its nose-gear just before taking from Gustavo Rojas Pinilla airport on the Caribbean island territory, which lies east of Nicaragua.
Colombian civil aviation regulator Aeronautica Civil says the incident occurred at 07:30 on 1 May. NOTAM information indicates that it closed the airport’s single runway 06/24.
The aircraft had been carrying 45 passengers and four crew members, and was conducting an inter-island service to Providencia.
“All occupants exited the aircraft safely and no injuries were reported,” says the regulator. “The passengers were duly attended to, by personnel from the San Andres airport.”
Personnel at the airport subsequently lifted the ATR’s nose from the runway and secured its nose-gear in order to tow it away.
The aircraft involved is a 20-year old airframe, originally delivered to Air Tahiti in 2004 and acquired by Satena a decade ago.
Aeronautica Civil says its technical accident investigation directorate will carry out a probe into the cause of the event.
