Region
South America

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-60-CS Commando in Villavicencio: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 2000 at 0825 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Rolando Medina Marmolejo
Registration:
HK-851P
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Villavicencio – Mitú
MSN:
383
YOM:
1945
Location:
Villavicencio
Meta
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Aircraft flight hours:
38837
Circumstances:
The aircraft, registered to a private individual, departed Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport on a charter flight to Mitú, carrying 17 passengers and two pilots while the aircraft was certified to carry 13 passengers maximum. The crew filed an flight plan with only six people on board. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the right engine caught fire. The crew activated the fire extinguishing system but as both bottles were empty, the fire could not be contained. The captain initiated a right hand turn to return to the airport when the aircraft stalled and crashed, bursting into flames, two minutes after takeoff. Both pilots and eight passengers were killed while nine other people were injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
The decision and inappropriate operation of the pilot to return with a right hand turn with an uncontrolled fire in the n°2 engine leading to a loss of lift on the wing on that side and a loss of control over the aircraft. It was also determined that the aircraft was not airworthy at the time of the accident. The crew flying experience could not be determined as the crew failed to complete their personal logbook. Also, the captain's medical certificate was not valid anymore.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3C near La Montañita: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 10, 1999 at 0750 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
HK-2581
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Orito – Villavicencio
MSN:
15561/27006
YOM:
1944
Location:
La Montañita
Caquetá
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
3041
Captain / Total hours on type:
3041.00
Aircraft flight hours:
17897
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Orito at 0740LT on a cargo flight to Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport, carrying two passengers and three crew members. Nine minutes after takeoff, while flying in poor weather conditions, the crew reported to ATC they were passing 7,500 feet and was cleared to climb to 11,500 feet. One minute later, radar contact was lost. The aircraft disintegrated in the air and crashed in a field near La Montañita. All five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland RC-7B on Mt Patascoy de Santa Lucía: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jul 23, 1999 at 0330 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-7 (Dash-7)
Operator:
Registration:
N5382W
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Apiay - Apiay
MSN:
95
YOM:
1982
Location:
Mt Patascoy de Santa Lucía
Nariño
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew (five US citizens and two Colombians) departed Apiay AFB near Villavicencio at 0230LT on an anti-narcotic control flight over the southern part of Colombia and along the border with Ecuador. About an hour into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 7,000 feet in limited visibility, the four engine aircraft struck the slope of Mt Patascoy de Santa Lucía (3,923 meters high) located about 35 km southeast of San Juan de Pasto. The wreckage was found five days later at an altitude of 2,100 metres. The aircraft was destroyed and all seven occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain due to navigational errors on part of the flying crew. The following contributing factors were identified:
- The crew input wrong settings in the Flight Management System, causing the aircraft to deviate from the initial prescribed route and to fly over a mountainous area,
- The crew was relatively inexperienced,
- Crew complacency,
- Lack of visibility due to the night,
- Lack of ground visual references,
- Crew fatigue due to an insufficient rest time.

Crash of a Douglas DC-6A in Villavicencio: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1999 at 1212 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-6
Operator:
LANC Colombia - Lineas Aéreas Norte de Colombia
Registration:
HK-1776
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Villavicencio – Mitú
MSN:
45499/1011
YOM:
1958
Location:
Villavicencio
Meta
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Villavicencio-La Vanguardia airport at 1206LT on a cargo flight to Mitú, carrying 12 passengers, three crew members and a load of various goods consisting of food and also 7 tons of fuel in 55 drums. After takeoff from runway 22, while climbing, the engine n°2 lost power. The captain decided to return for an emergency landing and was cleared to land on the same runway. On final approach, the airplane became unstable when the flight engineer shut down the engine n°2. The aircraft landed too far down the runway, about 1,700 feet past the runway threshold. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, it overran and came to rest against an embankment, bursting into flames. Four passengers were killed while 11 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The following findings were identified:
- Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew,
- Poor approach planning and execution, causing the aircraft to be unstable on short final,
- The landing speed was excessive and the aircraft landed too far down the runway,
- Unnecessary shut down of the engine n°2, causing the hydraulic systems of the main brakes to be unserviceable,
- Late application of the brakes after touchdown.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 near Málaga: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1999 at 1140 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Registration:
HK-2760
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bucaramanga – Málaga
MSN:
777
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
ATK7655
Location:
Málaga
Santander
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:
3820
Captain / Total hours on type:
392.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
966
Copilot / Total hours on type:
599
Aircraft flight hours:
34074
Aircraft flight cycles:
52799
Circumstances:
While descending to Málaga Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with low clouds and strong winds. The aircraft deviated from the prescribed approach path and entered a valley when the crew lost his orientation in clouds. At an altitude of 8,100 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt La Carbonera shrouded in clouds. All five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the crew continued the descent under VFR mode in IMC conditions.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3C near Tame: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 18, 1999 at 1630 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
HK-337
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Cúcuta – Yopal
MSN:
11831
YOM:
1943
Location:
Tame
Arauca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Captain / Total flying hours:
7838
Captain / Total hours on type:
7623.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1146
Copilot / Total hours on type:
940
Aircraft flight hours:
29475
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Cúcuta-Camilo Daza Airport at 1533LT on a charter flight to Yopal, carrying five passengers, three crew members and a load of 2,500 kilos of various goods. About an hour into the flight, while cruising over the El Cocuy National Park, the aircraft encountered unfavorable currents, lost height and crashed in an isolated and mountainous area located about 45 km west of Tame. The wreckage was found on 12 April 1999 and all eight occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Possible loss of control of the aircraft due to the presence of strong air currents or windshear, accompanied by extreme turbulences that caused the aircraft to lose height and struck the ground. Inadequate planning of the en route flight, overflying the mountain range apparently with the purpose of performing the operation in less time.
Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-32B in Medellín: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1998 at 0014 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-32
Operator:
Registration:
HK-3930X
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Bogotá – Medellín
MSN:
3309
YOM:
1993
Location:
Medellín-José María Córdova (Rionegro)
Antioquia
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
5554
Captain / Total hours on type:
1100.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2017
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1000
Aircraft flight hours:
3106
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Bogotá-El Dorado Airport on a cargo flight to Medellín, carrying two passengers, three crew members and a load of newspapers. On approach to Medellín-José María Córdova Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and reduced visibility due to thick fog. On short final, the aircraft was too low, struck trees and crashed one km short of runway 36. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact and all five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the crew decided to continue the approach in below minima weather conditions due to thick fog until the aircraft impacted terrain. The crew failed to initiate a go-around procedure to divert to a suitable terrain.
Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-32 in Leticia

Date & Time: Aug 24, 1998 at 1530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-32
Operator:
Registration:
HK-4007X
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Leticia - Girardot
MSN:
3303
YOM:
1992
Location:
Leticia-Alfredo Vásquez Cobo
Amazonas
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
1210
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Leticia to Girardot, carrying three passengers, three crew members and a load of five tons of fish. During the takeoff roll at Leticia-Alfredo Vásquez Cobo Airport runway 20, at Vr speed, the pilot-in-command started the rotation but the aircraft failed to respond. In such conditions, the captain decided to abort and initiated an emergency braking procedure. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran and came to rest 80 metres further. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the total weight of the aircraft was 532 kilos above MTOW. Also, the CofG was beyond the forward limit.

Crash of a Boeing 727-230 in Bogotá: 53 killed

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1998 at 1645 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 727-200
Operator:
Registration:
HC-BSU
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bogotá - Quito
MSN:
21622
YOM:
1978
Flight number:
AF422
Location:
Bogotá-El Dorado
Bogotá Capital District
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
43
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
53
Captain / Total flying hours:
5062
Captain / Total hours on type:
2296.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
7872
Copilot / Total hours on type:
528
Aircraft flight hours:
34586
Aircraft flight cycles:
26475
Circumstances:
The flight from Bogotá to Quito was completed by TAME on a wet-lease contract for Air France, second leg from the AF422 flight from Paris to Quito via Bogotá operated by an Airbus A340. After takeoff from runway 13 at Bogotá-El Dorado Airport, the crew was cleared for a Girardot 1 departure that consist of continuing on runway heading for 2 miles after takeoff, followed by a 90° right turn over the Romeo beacon. For unknown reasons, the crew continued straight forward until the aircraft impacted the Mt El Cable located ahead of the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 53 occupants were killed, among them 25 European Nationals, seven Italians, six French, three Danish, three Spanish, two Germans, two Austrians, one British and one Swiss. The wreckage was found 50 metres below the summit. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor with rain, clouds at 2,300 feet and CB's.
Probable cause:
The crew suffered a loss of situational awareness after takeoff while climbing in IMC conditions. The crew failed to comply with the Girardot 1 departure procedure, deviated from the published departure procedures and maintain runway heading until the aircraft collided with terrain.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland Dash-8-301 in Pereira

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1997 at 2000 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-8-300 (Dash-8)
Operator:
Registration:
HK-4062X
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
San Andrés – Bogotá – Pereira
MSN:
196
YOM:
1990
Location:
Pereira-Matecaña
Risaralda
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
39
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following a normal approach and landing, the crew started the braking procedure. After a course of about 700 metres, the undercarriage slowly retracted. The aircraft came to rest on its belly and was damaged beyond repair. All 44 occupants escaped uninjured.
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