Date & Time:
Jul 24, 1985 at 1700 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-6
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-902
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leticia - Bogotá
MSN:
45067
YOM:
1956
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
76
Pax fatalities:
76
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
80
Circumstances:
Some aircraft operated by the Colombian Air Force were requisitioned to carry out regular schedule flights on behalf of Avianca because their pilots were striking. Few minutes after takeoff from Leticia-Alfredo Vásquez Cobo Airport, the pilot declared an emergency after the engine n°3 caught fire. While returning, fire spread to the right wing and the airplane went out of control and crashed in a jungle located 32 km north of the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 80 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the n°3 engine for unknown reasons.
