Zone
Magdalena

Crash of an Embraer ERJ-190-100 IGW in Santa Marta

Date & Time: Jul 17, 2007 at 1519 LT
Type of aircraft:
Embraer ERJ-190
Operator:
Registration:
HK-4455
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Cali - Santa Marta
MSN:
190-00076
YOM:
2007
Flight number:
RPB7330
Location:
Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar
Magdalena
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
54
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
13737
Captain / Total hours on type:
238.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2148
Copilot / Total hours on type:
233
Aircraft flight hours:
998
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Cali, the crew started the approach to Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar Airport runway 01. On final approach, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls, turbulences and windshear. As the aircraft was unstable, the captain decided to abandon the approach and initiated a go-around procedure. Few minutes later, the crew started a second approach. Still unstable, the aircraft landed too far down the wet runway 01 at an excessive speed, about 490 metres from the runway end. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, went through a fence, collided with pylons, went down a concrete embankment and came to rest with the cockpit in the sea. All 60 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
 Continuation of the approach and landing without being stabilized on finals with an excessive speed caused the aircraft to cross the threshold of the runway with an additional 41 knots during a low angle approach, which caused the aircraft wheels to touch down positively when there were only 490 meters of runway available, an insufficient distance to stop the aircraft within the runway.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Lack of situational awareness regarding the approach and landing speed, after having disconnected the automated systems of the aircraft.
- Omission of call outs by the Pilot Monitoring to warn the pilot in control of speeding in order to persuade him to execute a missed approach.
- The delay in initiating a missed approach procedure / interrupted landing in circumstances that indicated the desirability to take such a measure during a destabilized approach.
- Misperception to believe that the aircraft could be stopped within the limited remaining available runway without analyzing the status and distance without having positive contact due to speeding.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 727-21 in Santa Marta

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1982
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 727-100
Operator:
Registration:
HK-2560
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
18996
YOM:
1966
Location:
Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar
Magdalena
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing at Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar Airport, the left main gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest on runway and was damaged beyond repair. There were no injuries.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left main gear upon landing for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Boeing 727-21 in Santa Marta

Date & Time: Aug 4, 1982
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 727-100
Operator:
Registration:
HK-2559
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
18994
YOM:
1966
Location:
Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar
Magdalena
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
43
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane stuck the ground few dozen meters short of runway threshold. The aircraft bounced and landed hard on runway. Upon touchdown, the left main gear was partially torn off. The aircraft went out of control, veered off runway to the left and came to rest. All 50 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo into the Caribbean Sea: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 18, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-310 Navajo
Operator:
Latimer W. Spinney
Registration:
N689WW
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Santa Marta - Port-au-Prince
MSN:
31-69
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
§
Location:
Caribbean Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
4975
Captain / Total hours on type:
125.00
Circumstances:
En route from Santa Marta to Port-au-Prince, the twin engine airplane disappeared from radar screens and crashed in unknown circumstances into the Caribbean Sea. The airplane and both occupants were never found.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences, the cause of the accident could not be determined.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47 on Mt Kennedy: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1978 at 1655 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-680
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Riohacha – Santa Marta – Barranquilla – Bogotá
Location:
Mt Kennedy
Magdalena
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The C-47 departed Riohacha Airport at 1615LT on a flight to Bogotá with intermediate stops in Santa Marta and Barranquilla. About five minutes before ETA, while cruising in low clouds, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Kennedy located about 22 km east of Santa Marta-Simon Bolivár Airport. The wreckage was found in an isolated area three days later and all eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Jaime Sánchez Tocarruncho, pilot,
Lt Ramon Villanueva Rodriguez, copilot,
Cpt Jose Orlando Moscoso Valencia, navigator,
Cpt Edra Rincón TAvera, navigator,
Ezequiel Prada Rueda, mechanic,
Omar Hernán Linares Rifaldo, mechanic.
Passengers:
1st Lt Guillermo Leon Valencia Obando,
Sgt Ramiro Waldo Giraldo Ramirez.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 5BA off Santa Marta: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1978
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.104 Dove
Operator:
Aircraft Brokers
Registration:
N4959N
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Delivery
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
04311
YOM:
1951
Location:
Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar
Magdalena
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
En route to Colombia on a delivery flight, the crew informed ATC about an engine failure and was cleared to divert to Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar Airport for an emergency landing. Few minutes later, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea few km off Santa Marta. The aircraft sank and both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in-flight for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Douglas DC-6A/B off Santa Marta: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-6
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1389
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Santa Marta - Willemstad
MSN:
43519
YOM:
1952
Location:
Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar
Magdalena
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Santa Marta-Simón Bolívar Airport, while climbing, the crew informed ground about an engine failure and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. Shortly later, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea few km offshore. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for undetermined reasons.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 near Bucaramanga: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-653
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Santa Marta – Bucaramanga
Location:
Bucaramanga-Gomez Niño
Santander
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
While approaching Bucaramanga-Gómez Niño Airport, the airplane struck the slope of Mt La Judia located about 11 km east of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all seven occupants were killed.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando into the Caribbean Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1281
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Santa Marta – Pointe-à-Pitre
MSN:
33275
YOM:
1945
Location:
Caribbean Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The C-46 departed Santa Marta Airport at 1211LT on a cargo flight to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, carrying a load of 5 tons of meat. While cruising at an altitude of 7,000 feet, the crew informed ATC about his ETA in Guadeloupe at 1755LT when contact was lost. The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea. No trace of the aircraft nor the four crew members was found.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Bogotá

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1970 at 0912 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-669
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Bogotá – Santa Marta
Location:
Bogotá-El Dorado
Bogotá Capital District
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
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.
Probable cause:
Undetermined technical problems with engines and propellers during takeoff.
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