Crash of a Vickers 837 Viscount in Bogotá: 20 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1972
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1347
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bogotá – Barranquilla – San Andrés
MSN:
442
YOM:
1960
Country:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
Four minutes after takeoff from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport, while climbing, the four engine airplane suffered an explosion and crashed in a field located 20 km from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all 20 occupants were killed. It is reported that an unknown explosion occurred during climb.

Crash of a Cessna 402A in Bogotá

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1452
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Schedule:
Bogotá – Villavicencio
MSN:
402A-0124
YOM:
1969
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed while taking off from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport for unknown reason. Occupant's fate remains unknown. Conflict with Beaver FAC-117 on November 5, 1971 ?

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver in Usme: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1971 at 0830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-117
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bogotá - Apiay
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport, while in initial climb, the crew contacted ATC and declared an emergency. Control was lost and the airplane crashed near Usme, south of Bogotá. The aircraft was destroyed and both crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-1-DL on Mt Nevado de Santa Isabel: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 3, 1971
Registration:
HC-ANJ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Quito - Bogotá
MSN:
20719
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was on his way from Quito to Bogotá as the aircraft was under a maintenance program. While cruising at an altitude of 5,100 meters in poor weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Nevado de Santa Isabel located about 150 km west of Bogotá. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was spotted on January 6, 1972. The accident was not survivable.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Bogotá

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1970 at 0912 LT
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-669
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bogotá – Santa Marta
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, while climbing to a height of 50 meters, the crew encountered technical problems with the propellers. Decision was taken to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed in a grassy area located along the runway, lost its engines and came to rest. All 15 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
Undetermined technical problems with engines and propellers during takeoff.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130B Hercules in Bogotá

Date & Time: Aug 26, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-1002
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Santa Bárbara – Bogotá
MSN:
3587
YOM:
1960
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was returning to Bogotá after he delivered cattle to an hacienda located in the region of Santa Bárbara, Nariño. On touchdown, the airplane went out of control and came to rest in flames. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando in Bogotá

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1969 at 1610 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-683
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bogotá – Cali
MSN:
33367
YOM:
1945
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After takeoff from runway 30, while climbing to an altitude of 300 feet, the airplane lost height and descended until it crashed 1,6 km past the runway end. All three crew members were injured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control was the consequence of an overloaded aircraft. The total weight was well above the MTOW.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver near La Palma: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1968 at 1143 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1101-G
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Barrancabermeja – Bogotá
MSN:
97
YOM:
1951
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Barrancabermeja Airport at 0900LT bound for Bogotá-Eldorado Airport. En route, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the region of La Palma. The wreckage was found ten days later and all three occupants have been killed.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando in Bogotá

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1967 at 0725 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-758
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bogotá – Barranquilla – Miami
MSN:
32815
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Bogotá-El Dorado, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. One minute after liftoff, the crew attempted an emergency landing and completed a belly landing in a wasteland. Both pilots were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL on Tajumbina Peak: 29 killed

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1966 at 0956 LT
Operator:
Registration:
HK-161
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Bogotá – Pasto
MSN:
19630
YOM:
1944
Flight number:
AV729
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
26
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
29
Captain / Total flying hours:
6653
Captain / Total hours on type:
2069.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1701
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1097
Aircraft flight hours:
28422
Circumstances:
Flight 739 was a scheduled domestic flight from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport to Pasta-Cano Airport. It was scheduled to depart Bogotá at 0615 hours local time; however, when the crew reported to the Avianca operations office at 0550 hours they were advised that Eldorado Airport was closed owing to thick fog. The airport was reopened to operations at 0750 hours. At about 0830 hours Flight 729 was observed to have commenced taxiing and entered the runway system without having received a clearance to do so. The flight was then given instructions for Runway 30 but further transmissions on 121.9 mc/s were not acknowledged. The flight was subsequently contacted on 118.1 mc/s and the pilot stated he had confused instructions with those given to another aircraft. Take-off was made on runway 10 and when over the threshold of Runway 12 the aircraft commenced a very steep turn to the left in a nose-high attitude. Recovery was effected and the aircraft departed at 0838 hours on a VFR flight plan. After the take-off and climb the flight left the Bogota tower frequency and subsequently contacted Bogota Control and Route Control on 5589 Kc/s. The following position reports were received: 12 500 ft over Guataqui at 0842 hrs, over El Paso at 0902 hrs, over Tuluá at 0924 hrs; at 8 500 ft over Cali, at 0942 hrs, and at 8 500 it over Santander at 0948 hrs estimating Dos Rios at 1014 hrs. No position report for Dos Rios was received. The Tuluá position report was transmitted to Cali as follows: "Tuluá 0922 descending to 8 500, estimating Cali 0942". As the message was very weak the flight was requested to confirm its departure and position; it reported on route frequency 5476.5 KC/S its departure as 0825/38. The flight was then requested to change to VHF frequency 119.1 for radio contact when approaching Cali. It did so but as its signals were not heard it returned to the route frequency stating that it would remain on that frequency since it had not been able to establish contact on the VHF frequency. At 1030 hrs Cali requested information on the flight from Pasto, which reported that the flight had not arrived and there was no information about it. From 1030 hrs onwards the aircraft was called on all available frequencies but no reply was received. An alert phase was declared at 1100 hrs and followed by a distress phase at 1125 hrs. The wreckage of the aircraft was found on 3 January 1967 after 11 days of searching. It had crashed and caught fire at an elevation of approximately 11 600 ft on the southern slopes of Tajumbina Peak (elevation 13 572 ft) in the El Descanse Police Inspectorate. Coordinates of the site of accident were 1° 20' 30" N 76° 47' 30" W. The accident occurred at approximately 0956 hrs on 24 December 1966. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 29 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was attributed to pilot error consisting of inflight indiscipline and rash imprudence on the part of the pilot-in-command of the aircraft for:
- Not having made use of the regulation rest period and having consumed alcoholic drinks a few hours before flying,
- Not having followed the route recommended in the Manual of Colombian Air Routes, which he reported he was taking; having reported positions that did not correspond to reality,
- Continuing a visual flight in unfavourable IFR conditions thereby failing to comply with the standards laid down in Part V of the Manual of Aeronautical Rules,
- Having flown at an altitude below the minimum safety altitude laid down for visual flying in Part V of the Manual of Aeronautical Rules (he flew along the Canon del Rfo Cascabel and subsequently crashed at an altitude of about 11 600 ft),
A possible contributory cause of this accident was inadequate supervision by the Airline consisting of a lack of control over the flight crews.
Final Report: