Country
Operator Image

Crash of a Boeing 247D in Tona: 11 killed

Date & Time: Feb 29, 1940 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-79
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Bogota – Bucaramanga – Cúcuta
YOM:
1937
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and the pilot failed to realize he was flying too low. The twin engine aircraft named 'Quesada' impacted the slope of a mountain located near Tona, northeast of Bucaramanga. All 11 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Junkers W.34 off Calamar: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1939 at 0730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-53
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Barranquilla – Girardot
YOM:
1928
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft named 'Boyacá' departed Barranquilla at 0700LT bound for Girardot. While cruising off Calamar, State of Bolívar, the float plane went out of control and crashed in a lagoon located in the Magdalena River, some 3 km off Calamar. All five occupants were killed, among them copilot Herbert Laasch.

Crash of a Boeing 247D in Manzanares: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 15, 1939 at 1345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-149
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Barranquilla – Barrancabermeja – Honda – Bogotá
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft named 'Antonio de Ollala' was performing a flight from Barranquilla to Bogotá with intermediate stops in Barrancabermeja and Honda. The aircraft departed Barrancabermeja at 1240LT and was scheduled to land in Honda at 1350LT. On approach, the aircraft went out of control and crashed for unknown reason in Manzanares, west of Honda. The aircraft was destroyed and all eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
Samuel Zerda, pilot,
Ulrich Schneider, copilot and radio operator.
Passengers:
Roberto Blanco,
Barbarita Rodriguez de Blanco,
Margot Blanco Rodriguez,
R. F. Beaujon,
Gerard Frobel,
Mr. Lozano.

Crash of a Ford 5 in Sumapaz: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-63
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The three engine aircraft named 'Leticia' was carrying a photographer and a crew of three on an aerial photography mission. The airplane departed Bogotá-Techo Airport and failed to arrive at destination. SAR operations were initiated but no trace of the aircraft nor the four occupants was found. Several years later, walkers found the wreckage in an isolated area.
Crew:
Max Zimmer,
Walter Wend,
Hermann Fellner.

Crash of a Ford 5 in Quibdó

Date & Time: May 13, 1938 at 0820 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-60
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
5-AT-114
YOM:
1932
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft named 'Barranquilla' was carrying a crew of six that was taking part to a SAR mission after a Junkers F.13 from the same company was missing since the previous day. On final approach to Quibdó Airport, the seaplane went out of control and crashed 2 km short of runway. All six occupants were injured while the aircraft was lost.

Crash of a Junkers F.13 near Buenaventura

Date & Time: May 12, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-35
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tumaco – Buenaventura
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While approaching Buenaventura, the single engine aircraft named 'Darién' crashed in unknown circumstances in the mouth of Rio Cajambre, some 40 km south of Buenaventura. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft was lost.
Crew:
Mr. Loest, pilot,
Guillermo Calvo, copilot.

Crash of a Junkers F.13 off Palestina: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-40
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane named 'Córdoba' was on its way to Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca. En route, in unknown circumstances, the float plane crashed into the Río San Juan off the village of Palestina, south of Chocó State. The pilot was seriously injured, the copilot and the passenger were killed.
Crew:
Günther Fries, pilot,
Joseph Englert, copilot. †
Passenger:
Mr. Wasfi. †

Crash of a Sikorsky S-41 in Barranquilla: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Alfonso Lopez
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The float plane named 'Alfonso Lopez' crashed in unknown circumstances in the Magdalena River, in Barranquilla. The copilot and one female passenger were killed.

Crash of a Ford 5 in Medellin: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1935 at 1458 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-31
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Medellín – Bogotá
MSN:
5-AT-112
YOM:
1932
Flight number:
SC062
Country:
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.