Date & Time: Nov 27, 1989 at 0716 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 727-100
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1803
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bogotá - Cali
MSN:
19035
YOM:
1966
Flight number:
AV203
Location:
Soacha
Cundinamarca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
101
Pax fatalities:
101
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
107
Captain / Total flying hours:
8677
Captain / Total hours on type:
6834
Copilot / Total flying hours:
355
Copilot / Total hours on type:
74
Aircraft flight hours:
46155
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Bogotá-El Dorado Airport Runway 12 at 0711LT on a flight to Cali. On board were 101 passengers and six crew members. Four minutes later, the crew reported over Techo radio beacon at 10,500 feet, cleread to Girardot 1 via 240°. About a minute later, while climbing to FL130, the airplane suffered an explosion and crashed in a hilly terrain located near Soacha, about 16 km south of Bogotá Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 107 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Jose Ignacio Ossa Aristizabal, pilot,
Fernando Pizarro Esguerra, copilot,
Luis Jairo Castiblanco Vargas, flight engineer,
Rita Elisa Galvis Becerra, fight aid.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by the explosion of a bomb placed in the cabin prior to takeoff. The explosive device, composed of Semtex (a mixture of RDX and PETN components), had been placed near section 783 of the fuselage, by members of a Colombian cartel targeting a high-ranking Colombian police officer accompanied by four colleagues. When the explosion occurred, a tear formed between the cabin and the root of the right wing, allowing fuel from the right wing tanks to ignite and spread into the cabin. Furthermore, the hydraulic systems and all controls were rendered inoperable. Under such circumstances, pilots were unable to maintain control of the airplane.
Final Report:
HK-1803.pdf3.81 MB