Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Quibdó – Medellín

MSN:

497

YOM:

1976

Flight number:

VX052

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

16626

Captain / Total hours on type:

2364.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

3860

Copilot / Total hours on type:

3510

Aircraft flight hours:

18238

Circumstances:

While cruising under VFR mode on a flight from Quibdó to Medellín, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with mist and intermittent rain falls. At an altitude of 11,500 feet, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt El Plateado located in the northeast part of the Chocó Province, about 66 km northeast of Quibdó. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 23 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The following findings were identified:
- The crew continued the flight under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions.
- The crew deviated from the airway specified in the air route manual and maintained a flight level below that established for instrument flight conditions.
- Poor supervision on part of the Operation Personnel and the Operator, by allowing crews to deviate from flight routes within the airways clearly established in the Colombian Air Routes Manual.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 707-373C in Medellín: 25 killed

Date & Time: Dec 14, 1983 at 1530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 707

Operator:

Registration:

HK-2401-X

Flight Phase:

Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Medellín - Miami

MSN:

18707

YOM:

1963

Location:

Antioquia

Country:

Colombia

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

19504

Captain / Total hours on type:

1582.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

15067

Copilot / Total hours on type:

2482

Aircraft flight hours:

65893

Aircraft flight cycles:

13713

Circumstances:

Initially, the airplane was scheduled to operate a cargo service from Medellín to Miami. Following technical issues with the engine n°4, the decision was taken to ferry the airplane to Miami for maintenance control purposes. The Operator and the crew decided to perform a three-engine flight to Miami and the takeoff procedure was initiated with the engine n°4 running at idle. Almost immediately after takeoff from Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Runway 01, the airplane rolled to the right to an angle of 90° and crashed in an industrial zone located 350 metres past the runway end, bursting into flames. The airplane was totally destroyed and all three crew members were killed as well as 22 people on the ground.
Crew:
Hugo Molina Jaraba, pilot,
Pedro Gerardo Ramirez Restrepo, copilot,
George Gilbert, flight engineer.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by the combination of the following factors:
- Decision of the crew and the Operator to initiate a flight with one engine partially inoperative.
- The crew did not receive a specific training for such a flight configuration.
- The Operator failed to request an appropriate permission from the Authority to perform such 'ferry' flight.
- The conditions of the takeoff maneuver with the engine n°4 reduced and an irregular procedure in the directional control of the airplane, determined a low speed condition that resulted in a total loss of control at the beginning of rotation.

Final Report:

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-35-CU Commando in the Orteguaza River

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1981

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

HK-388

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Medellín - Barranquilla

MSN:

26796

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport on a cargo flight to Barranquilla-Soledad, carrying six passengers and three crew members. En route, the aircraft was hijacked by four people who wanted to be flown on a remote airstrip located in the Guajira Peninsula. Four to five tons of weapons were loaded on board the airplane that departed and flew to the region of Florencia. The crew was forced to land in the Orteguaza River, about 7 km east of Florencia. The airplane came to rest in shallow waters, all weapons were offloaded and the aircraft was abandoned. The crew were released by the hijackers on November 10, 1981.

Probable cause:

Forced landing in water after being hijacked.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-R near Ríohacha: 69 killed

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1980 at 1423 LT

Type of aircraft:

Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle

Operator:

Registration:

HK-1810

Flight Phase:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bogotá – Valledupar – Barranquilla – Valledupar – Riohacha – Medellín

MSN:

165

YOM:

1963

Flight number:

TAC173

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

19094

Captain / Total hours on type:

3124.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

14750

Copilot / Total hours on type:

2109

Aircraft flight hours:

28267

Aircraft flight cycles:

27085

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Riohacha-Almirante Padilla Airport Runway 09 at 1418LT on a flight to Medellín, the last leg of a trip initiated from Bogotá at 0935LT the same day. Four minutes after takeoff, while climbing to an altitude of 3,400 feet, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent. With a rate of descent of 6,000 feet per minute, it crashed around 30 seconds later in a wooded area located 19 km from Riohacha Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 69 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Pedro Leon Acosta Carvajal, pilot,
Jorge Jimenez Gonzalez, copilot,
Jorge Silva Segura, flight engineer.

Probable cause:

The presence on board of an explosive substance caused substantial damage to the aircraft's systems, mainly the hydraulic system, to such a degree that the pilot-in-command completely lost control in flight. The exact cause of the explosion could not be determined with certainty.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-35-DL on Mt El Boquerón: 20 killed

Date & Time: Nov 24, 1980 at 1547 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Colombian Government

Registration:

HK-1221G

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Government

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Turbo – Medellín

MSN:

9703

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Turbo on a flight to Medellín, carrying employees of the Colombian Customs Services (Direccion General de Aduanas). While descending to the altitude of 9,500 feet in marginal weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of Mt El Boquerón located about 100 km northwest of Medellín Airport. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 20 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the mountain was shrouded by clouds.

Probable cause:

The crew was flying under VFR mode in IMC when the airplane struck the mountain. Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Cessna 414 Chancellor in Bello

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1980

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 414 Chancellor

Operator:

Registration:

HK-2117-W

Flight Phase:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Medellín – Bajo Cauca

MSN:

414-0920

YOM:

1976

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport, while climbing, the pilot encountered engine problems. He attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a field located near Bello, north of the airfield. All six occupants were able to evacuate the cabin before the aircraft would be totally destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver in Serranía del Baudó: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1975

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Operator:

Registration:

HK-1044

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Turbo – Juradó – Medellín

MSN:

101

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane was completing a charter flight from Turbo to Medellín with an intermediate stop in Juradó. About 20 minutes after its departure from Juradó, the airplane disappeared and the pilot did not send any distress call. As the airplane failed to arrive in Medellín, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the six occupants was found. The wreckage was found 12 years later in an isolated and uninhabited area near Serranía del Baudó, about 100 km south from the route Juradó - Medellín.

Crash of a Canadair CL-44-6 near Medellín: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1975 at 2212 LT

Type of aircraft:

Canadair CL-44

Operator:

Registration:

HK-1972

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera

Schedule:

Medellín – Barranquilla – Miami

MSN:

YOM:

1959

Flight number:

OD152

Location:

Antioquia

Country:

Colombia

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport by night on a cargo flight to Miami via Barranquilla. Seven minutes after takeoff, the four engine airplane struck a 15 meters high pine tree with its right wing, went out of control and crashed on the slope of Mt Piedras Blancas (1,200 meters high) located about 11 km north of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Crash of a Cessna 421A Golden Eagle I in Medellín

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1974

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 421A Golden Eagle I

Operator:

International Leasing Corporation

Registration:

N827AB

Flight Phase:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

MSN:

421A-0101

YOM:

1968

Location:

Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera

Antioquia

Country:

Colombia

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

A double engine failure in flight forced the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crashed in flames on a golf course located by the Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport. There were no injuries but the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure in flight for undetermined reason.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-191 near Chigorodó: 12 killed

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1974 at 1315 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

HK-1216

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site: