Region
South America

Crash of a Junkers W.34hi in El Retiro: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 28, 1935
Type of aircraft:
Junkers W.34
Operator:
Registration:
406
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Palanquero – Tres Esquinas
MSN:
2779
YOM:
1934
Location:
El Retiro
Huila
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
En route from Palanquero to Tres Esquinas, the crew encountered engine problems. Control was lost and the airplane crashed in El Retiro, near the Rio Magdalena. All five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Ford 5 in Medellín: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1935 at 1458 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ford 5
Operator:
Servicio Aéreo Colombiano - SACO
Registration:
F-31
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Medellín – Bogotá
MSN:
5-AT-006
YOM:
1928
Location:
Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera
Antioquia
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
During the take off roll at Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport, the thee engine airplane started to swerve on runway. It went out of control, veered off runway to the left and collided with a Ford 5 operated by SCADTA. Registered C-31, it was taxiing along the runway for departure. Both aircraft exploded and were destroyed by fire. All seven occupants on board the Scadta aircraft were killed. Among the 13 people on board the SACO aircraft, 10 people were killed and three others were injured.
Crew:
Ernesto Samper Mendoza, pilot and founder of SACO, and one copilot.
Passenger:
Henry Schwartz,
Guillermo Barbieri,
Caledonio Palacios,
Alfredo Le Pera, singer,
Carlos Gardel, 'The King of Tango',
Grant Y. Flynn,
José Aguilar,
Domingo Riverol,
Alfonso Azaff +1,
José Plaja.
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the investigation board that the accident was caused by a loss of control of the SACO Ford during the take off run due to strong lateral winds in combination with irregularities in the runway surface that led the left main gear to leave the ground before rotation, which contributed to let the aircraft to veer off runway. The captain tried to maintain directional control but this was unsuccessful.

Crash of a Ford 5 in Medellin: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1935 at 1458 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ford 5
Operator:
Registration:
C-31
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Medellín – Bogotá
MSN:
5-AT-112
YOM:
1932
Flight number:
SC062
Location:
Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera
Antioquia
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft named 'Manizales' was taxiing along the runway at Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport for a departure to Bogotá (service SC062) with four passengers and a crew of three. A second Ford 5 operated by Servicio Aéreo Colombiano (SACO) was taking off when it swerved on runway, veered off and collided with the Ford 5 of SCADTA. Both aircraft exploded were destroyed by fire. All seven occupants on board the Scadta aircraft were killed. Among the 13 people on board the SACO aircraft, 10 people were killed and three others were injured.
Crew:
Hans Ulrich Thom, pilot,
H. Fuerst, copilot,
Willis B. Foster, radio navigator.
Passengers:
Guillermo Escobar Vélez,
Estanislao Zuleta Ferrer,
Jorge Moreno Olano,
Lester W. Strauss.
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the investigation board that the accident was caused by a loss of control of the SACO Ford during the take off run due to strong lateral winds in combination with irregularities in the runway surface that led the left main gear to leave the ground before rotation, which contributed to let the aircraft to veer off runway. The captain tried to maintain directional control but this was unsuccessful.

Crash of a Junkers W.34hi in Potosí

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1934 at 1500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Junkers W.34
Operator:
Registration:
409
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Puerto Boy – Potosí
MSN:
2825
YOM:
1934
Location:
Potosí
Cundinamarca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While descending to Potosí, the engine failed. The pilot elected to make an emergency landing when the floatplane crashed. All four occupants were injured.

Crash of a Fokker Super Universal in Villeta: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 31, 1934 at 0900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker Super Universal
Operator:
Registration:
C-48
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Bogotá – Útica
MSN:
880
YOM:
1932
Location:
Villeta
Cundinamarca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot Henke was performing a cargo flight from Bogotá to Útica. En route, an engine failure forced the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft eventually crashed, killing the pilot.

Crash of a Junkers F.13 near Punta Bazán

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1934
Type of aircraft:
Junkers F.13
Operator:
Registration:
C-32
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Buenaventura - Punta Bazán
Location:
Punta Bazán
Valle del Cauca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Punta Bazán, the single engine airplane named 'Pacifico' crashed in unknown circumstances. All five occupants, including the pilot Klein, were injured.

Crash of a Sikorsky S-38B in El Águila: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1934 at 1100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Sikorsky S-38
Operator:
Registration:
C-46
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Quibdo - Cartago
MSN:
114-6
YOM:
1929
Location:
El Águila
Valle del Cauca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Named 'Von Krohn', the seaplane aircraft was on its way from Quibdó to Cartago, in the province of Valle del Cauca. The crew maintained radio contact till 1055LT. Five minutes later, the aircraft impacted a mountain slope in the region of El Águila. SAR arrived on the scene two weeks later only because the aircraft crashed in an isolated and unreachable area. The passenger J. C. Zúniga Angel and the mechanic Haucke Notz were found dead in the cabin while the pilot Hans-Walter Geck and the radio operator Ernst Jahnke were found dead few km from the main wreckage. They probably walked away to find help but they died en route. Eventually, the passenger N. C. Marshall was found alive near the wreckage and later evacuated to a local hospital.
Crew:
Hans-Walter Geck, pilot, †
Haucke Notz, mechanic, †
Ernst Jahnke, radio operator. †
Passengers:
J. C. Zúniga Angel, †
N. C. Marshall.

Crash of a Junkers K.34do into the Caguán River

Date & Time: Jun 19, 1933
Type of aircraft:
Junkers W.34
Operator:
Registration:
402
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Girardot – Puerto Boy
MSN:
2572
YOM:
1928
Location:
Río Caguán
Caquetá
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed Girardot on a flight to Puerto Boy. En route, weather conditions deteriorated with thunderstorm activity. The crew attempted an emergency landing in the Caguán River when the floatplane crashed. Both crew members were injured and rescued.

Crash of a Junkers F.13 in Caucayá: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 21, 1933
Type of aircraft:
Junkers F.13
Operator:
Registration:
202
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Caucayá – Puerto Boy
MSN:
543
YOM:
1920
Location:
Caucayá
Antioquia
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Caucayá, the float plane suffered an engine failure. It stalled, impacted a tree and crashed in the Putumayo River. All five occupants were killed, among them two German crew and three mechanics of the Colombian Army. They were performing a mission on behalf of the Border Patrol Corps (Patrulla de Fronteras).
Crew:
M. Hänichen, pilot,
Erich Rettich, mechanic.
Passengers:
Heriberto Gil Martínez +2.
Probable cause:
Engine failure after takeoff.

Crash of a Junkers F.13 in Girardot

Date & Time: Feb 18, 1933
Type of aircraft:
Junkers F.13
Operator:
Registration:
C-36
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Girardot – Puerto Berrío
Location:
Girardot
Cundinamarca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from the Rio Magdalena in Girardot, the float plane impacted a wall and crashed. All four occupants were injured while the aircraft named 'Garcia Rovira' was destroyed.
Crew:
Mr. Klein, pilot +1.
Passengers:
L. S. Nilsson +1.
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