Bogotá-El Dorado

Shortly after takeoff from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport, while in initial climb, the crew contacted ATC and declared an emergency. Control was lost and the airplane crashed near Usme, south of Bogotá. The aircraft was destroyed and both crew members were killed.

The crew was on his way from Quito to Bogotá as the aircraft was under a maintenance program. While cruising at an altitude of 5,100 meters in poor weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Nevado de Santa Isabel located about 150 km west of Bogotá. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was spotted on January 6, 1972. The accident was not survivable.

Shortly after takeoff, while climbing to a height of 50 meters, the crew encountered technical problems with the propellers. Decision was taken to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed in a grassy area located along the runway, lost its engines and came to rest. All 15 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was written off.

The crew was returning to Bogotá after he delivered cattle to an hacienda located in the region of Santa Bárbara, Nariño. On touchdown, the airplane went out of control and came to rest in flames. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

After takeoff from runway 30, while climbing to an altitude of 300 feet, the airplane lost height and descended until it crashed 1,6 km past the runway end. All three crew members were injured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

The single engine aircraft departed Barrancabermeja Airport at 0900LT bound for Bogotá-Eldorado Airport. En route, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the region of La Palma. The wreckage was found ten days later and all three occupants have been killed.

Shortly after takeoff from Bogotá-El Dorado, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. One minute after liftoff, the crew attempted an emergency landing and completed a belly landing in a wasteland. Both pilots were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Flight 739 was a scheduled domestic flight from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport to Pasta-Cano Airport. It was scheduled to depart Bogotá at 0615 hours local time; however, when the crew reported to the Avianca operations office at 0550 hours they were advised that Eldorado Airport was closed owing to thick fog. The airport was reopened to operations at 0750 hours. At about 0830 hours Flight 729 was observed to have commenced taxiing and entered the runway system without having received a clearance to do so. The flight was then given instructions for Runway 30 but further transmissions on 121.9 mc/s were not acknowledged. The flight was subsequently contacted on 118.1 mc/s and the pilot stated he had confused instructions with those given to another aircraft. Take-off was made on runway 10 and when over the threshold of Runway 12 the aircraft commenced a very steep turn to the left in a nose-high attitude. Recovery was effected and the aircraft departed at 0838 hours on a VFR flight plan. After the take-off and climb the flight left the Bogota tower frequency and subsequently contacted Bogota Control and Route Control on 5589 Kc/s. The following position reports were received: 12 500 ft over Guataqui at 0842 hrs, over El Paso at 0902 hrs, over Tuluá at 0924 hrs; at 8 500 ft over Cali, at 0942 hrs, and at 8 500 it over Santander at 0948 hrs estimating Dos Rios at 1014 hrs. No position report for Dos Rios was received. The Tuluá position report was transmitted to Cali as follows: "Tuluá 0922 descending to 8 500, estimating Cali 0942". As the message was very weak the flight was requested to confirm its departure and position; it reported on route frequency 5476.5 KC/S its departure as 0825/38. The flight was then requested to change to VHF frequency 119.1 for radio contact when approaching Cali. It did so but as its signals were not heard it returned to the route frequency stating that it would remain on that frequency since it had not been able to establish contact on the VHF frequency. At 1030 hrs Cali requested information on the flight from Pasto, which reported that the flight had not arrived and there was no information about it. From 1030 hrs onwards the aircraft was called on all available frequencies but no reply was received. An alert phase was declared at 1100 hrs and followed by a distress phase at 1125 hrs. The wreckage of the aircraft was found on 3 January 1967 after 11 days of searching. It had crashed and caught fire at an elevation of approximately 11 600 ft on the southern slopes of Tajumbina Peak (elevation 13 572 ft) in the El Descanse Police Inspectorate. Coordinates of the site of accident were 1° 20' 30" N 76° 47' 30" W. The accident occurred at approximately 0956 hrs on 24 December 1966. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 29 occupants have been killed.

The aircraft, which was on wet lease from Passaat Ltd., Miami, U.S.A., to Aerocondor de Colombia, was on a non-scheduled international flight from Miami International Airport, U.S.A., to Bogotá-El Dorado Airport, Colombia. The flight took off from Miami at 2040 hours local time on 17 December and proceeded normally. At 0240 hours local time, on 18 December, it reported over the Bogotá VOR at 12,000 feet and requested from the Air Route Traffic Control Centre authorization to change over to frequency 118.1 mcs and to contact El Dorado Control Tower. This was granted and communications were established with the Control Tower. The flight was given a QNH of 30.14 in. Hg. and was cleared for landing on Runway 12; however, it requested permission to land on Runway 30. It was then instructed to proceed directly to the inner marker for Runway 12, at 8,895 feet (elevation of the airport was 8,364 feet) and if visual to make a circling approach to Runway 30. There were fog patches on and in the vicinity of the aerodrome. The tower communications tape recording revealed that the flight reported proceeding inbound to Runway 12 and that it was instructed to continue its approach to Runway 12 as the fog appeared to be thinning out in that direction. Shortly thereafter the tower asked "how is visibility in the direction of 12" and the flight replied "It is a little better, I think we can make it in a second". At 0753 hours GMT the flight requested permission to land and the tower replied 'I... correct, cleared to land if you can do so, lights are at maximum intensity, let us know if it is necessary to reduce them'. The flight advised the lights were OK and reported on final approach. It was cleared to land and was advised again that the wind was calm and the QNH was 30.14 in. Hg. It acknowledged the message by "Thanks". Some 10 to 20 sec. later an explosion was heard and the control tower called the flight several times in vain. The fire crews were immediately alerted and directed to the threshold of Runway 12. They reported that the wreckage of the aircraft was some 10 to 20 m before the threshold of Runway 12. Four crew members and 13 passengers were killed while 42 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Shortly after takeoff from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport, while climbing, the electrical system failed. The crew decided to reduce his altitude and to attempt an emergency landing in a field located in Funza, about six km northwest of the airfield. While the airplane was damaged beyond repair, both occupants were uninjured.