Region
South America

Crash of a BAe 125-700A off Puerto Colombia: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 20, 2015
Type of aircraft:
BAe 125
Operator:
Registration:
N917TF
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Illegal (smuggling)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
257138
YOM:
1981
Location:
Puerto Colombia
Atlántico
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off in the day from an airfield located in Venezuela with two passengers, two pilots and a load of 1,3 ton of narcotics, en route to Central America. While cruising over the Caribbean Sea off the Colombian coast, the aircraft was intercepted by a Colombian Air Force fighter. In unclear situation, the right engine of the Hawker caught fire (shot down ?). The crew descended in a low nose down attitude until the aircraft impacted the sea and disintegrated. All four occupants were killed and the load of narcotics was found floating on water. Three dead bodies and some debris of the aircraft were found few days later on a beach located northeast of Puerto Colombia. The aircraft was identified as N917TF which departed Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport, Florida for Toluca, Mexico on May 1, 2015. It was formally cancelled from the U.S. register on June 2, 2015 as exported to Mexico.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilot of a Colombian Air Force fighter.

Crash of a Cessna T207A Turbo Stationair 8 in Piedecuesta: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 24, 2014 at 1527 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 207 Skywagon/Stationair
Operator:
Registration:
HK-4892
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bucaramanga – Málaga
MSN:
207-0646
YOM:
1981
Location:
Piedecuesta
Santander
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Captain / Total hours on type:
370.00
Aircraft flight hours:
13055
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Bucaramanga-Palonegro Airport on a charter flight to Málaga-Jerónimo de Aguayo Airport, carrying six passengers and one pilot. En route, the aircraft started a descent then a turn to the left when it impacted the slope of a mountain and crashed near Piedecuesta. The wreckage was found the following day and all seven occupants were killed. There was no fire.
Probable cause:
The investigation determined that the accident was caused by a combination of the following factors:
- A probable partial loss of engine power during flight,
- A probable loss of aerodynamic performance of the aircraft.
The following factors that could affect the performance of the aircraft are added to the two hypotheses:
1. Lack of knowledge by the dispatcher and the pilot of the exact weight of the aircraft, as well as the location of its center of gravity.
2. Decision by the pilot to fly at an altitude lower than the one stipulated in the Flight Plan submitted to the Aeronautical Authority, as well as in the SOP's.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Mariquita: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 3, 2014 at 0931 LT
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
Operator:
Registration:
HK-4464
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Bogotá-Guaymaral – Bahía Solano
MSN:
31-7952229
YOM:
1979
Location:
Mariquita
Tolima
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Captain / Total flying hours:
2190
Captain / Total hours on type:
392.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
302
Copilot / Total hours on type:
302
Aircraft flight hours:
10091
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Bogotá-Guaymaral Airport on a charter flight to Bahía Solano, carrying eight passengers and two pilots. En route, while in cruising altitude, the crew contacted ATC and reported engine trouble. He was then cleared to divert to Mariquita-José Celestino Mutis Airport for an emergency landing. On final approach to runway 19, the aircraft stalled and crashed on hilly and wooded terrain, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 10 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the malfunction of the right engine in flight, causing a loss of speed and a subsequent stall.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Limited operation of the aircraft due to an inoperative engine,
- Low speed,
- When the aircraft stalled, the distance with the ground was insufficient to expect recovery,
- The maintenance services were not performed according to the manufacturer when the aircraft was parked for almost six months.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Araracuara: 10 killed

Date & Time: Sep 6, 2014 at 1505 LT
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
Operator:
Registration:
HK-4755
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Araracuara – Florencia
MSN:
31-7952044
YOM:
1979
Location:
Araracuara
Caquetá
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Captain / Total flying hours:
792
Captain / Total hours on type:
523.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
211
Aircraft flight hours:
14601
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Araracuara Airport runway 09 at 1503LT on a charter flight to Florencia, carrying eight passengers and two pilots. During initial climb, the right engine failed. The crew lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed in a wooded area. The wreckage was found 8,2 km from the airport. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 10 occupants were killed, among them a Swiss citizen.
Probable cause:
Loss of control during initial climb following the failure of the right engine for undetermined reasons.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The crew failed to follow the published procedures when the right engine failed,
- The aircraft was likely operated with a total weight above MTOW,
- A poor risk assessment while performing an operation outside of the aircraft's performance limits.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air in Bahía Solano

Date & Time: Jun 2, 2014 at 1700 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft 200 Super King Air
Operator:
Registration:
PNC-0225
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
BB-1644
YOM:
1998
Location:
Bahía Solano
Chocó
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Bahía Solano-José Celestino Mutis Airport, while in initial climb, the crew encountered engine problems. The captain attempted an emergency landing in a prairie. The aircraft landed gear up and slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest. While all three occupants escaped with minor injuries, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3C near San Vincente del Caguán: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 8, 2014 at 1202 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
HK-4700
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Villavicencio – Florencia
MSN:
9700
YOM:
1943
Location:
San Vicente del Caguán
Caquetá
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
10233
Captain / Total hours on type:
9950.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
4417
Copilot / Total hours on type:
3812
Aircraft flight hours:
27771
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Villavicencio on a cargo flight to Florencia, carrying three passengers, two pilots and a load consisting of 2,540 kg of various goods. While cruising under VFR mode at an altitude of 6,500 feet, weather conditions worsened and the crew attempted to modify his route when the aircraft impacted ground and crashed in a wooded and mountainous area located some 45 km north of San Vincente del Caguán, near Uribe. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain. The crew failed to evaluate properly the risks and the danger of poor weather conditions and decided to perform the flight in VFR mode. While cruising in IMC and failing to check the minimum prescribed altitude, the crew suffered a loss of situational awareness, causing the aircraft to hit he mountainous terrain.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo near Coromoro: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 3, 2014 at 1023 LT
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-310 Navajo
Operator:
Registration:
C-GSVM
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Geographical / Geophysical / Scientific
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bucaramanga - Bucaramanga
MSN:
31-109
YOM:
1968
Location:
Coromoro
Santander
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
4000
Captain / Total hours on type:
1400.00
Aircraft flight hours:
11000
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Bucaramanga-Palonegro Airport at 0804LT on a geophysical mission over the Coromoro Region, Santander. At 1000LT, the last radio contact was recorded with the pilot. While flying in marginal weather conditions (low clouds), the aircraft impacted the slope of a mountain located near Coromoro. The wreckage was found two days later at an altitude of 4,500 metres, some 98 km south of Bucaramanga. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and both occupants were killed, among them Peter Moore, co-founder of Oracle Geoscience International and Neville Ribeiro, the pilot.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the pilot was flying under VFR mode in IMC conditions. It was determined that the accident occurred after the pilot suffered a loss of situational awareness while flying under VFR mode in low clouds conditions.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C90 King Air in Villavicencio: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 2014 at 0633 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft 90 King Air
Operator:
Registration:
HK-4921
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Ambulance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Bogotá – Araracuara
MSN:
LJ-721
YOM:
1977
Location:
Villavicencio
Meta
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
3013
Captain / Total hours on type:
538.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1341
Copilot / Total hours on type:
483
Aircraft flight hours:
9656
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Bogotá-El Dorado Airport at 0600LT on an ambulance flight to Araracuara, State of Caquetá, carrying two doctors, one patient and two pilots. Fifteen minutes into the flight, the crew contacted ATC, reported problems and was cleared to divert to Villavicencio. On approach to Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area parallel to a road, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and all five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The following factors were identified:
- The lack of technical knowledge published in the POH for the execution of the pertinent actions during the failure of the engine in flight, together with the unwise decisions made by the crew in that situation.
- The haste of the crew members to land caused them to act in an uncoordinated manner and without the assertiveness required for the execution of the procedures contemplated by the manufacturer, the navigation charts and the published approach procedures.
- The omissions, reactions and deviations inappropriate to conduct the flight safely to the runway.
- The turning to the runway on the same side of the inoperative (critical) engine and maximum power on the operational engine during the unstabilized approach to the runway threshold which led to loss of control of the aircraft in low altitude flight.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-8-202 near Acandí: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 2013 at 0100 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-8-200 (Dash-8)
Operator:
Airborne Services Global
Registration:
N356PH
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Panama City - Panama City
MSN:
502
YOM:
1997
Location:
Acandí
Chocó
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert Airport in the evening on an anti-narcotic survey flight over Colombia, carrying four passengers and two pilots, five US citizens and one Panamanian. En route, while cruising along the border between Panama and Colombia, the aircraft collided with trees and crashed on the slope of a wooded mountain, bursting into flames. All four passengers were killed and both pilots were seriously injured.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in La Leona: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 23, 2012 at 1100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Operator:
Registration:
EJC-1131
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tolemaida - Saravena
MSN:
208B-1199
YOM:
2007
Location:
La Leona
Cundinamarca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from the Tolemaida Air Base to the airport of Saravena-Los Colonizadores. Few minutes after takeoff, while flying some 35 km from its departure point, the single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in a field located in La Leona. All four occupants were killed.
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