Bogotá

Operator:

Registration:

FAC-1127

Flight Phase:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

MSN:

16290/33038

YOM:

1945

Location:

Bogotá

Bogotá Capital District

Country:

Colombia

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances. Crew fate unknown.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Medellín: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 3, 1972 at 0950 LT

Type of aircraft:

Piper PA-31-310 Navajo

Operator:

Registration:

HK-1388-G

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Medellín – Bogotá

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:

One minute after takeoff from Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport, while in initial climb, the pilot informed ATC about an engine failure and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. Shortly later, he lost control of the aircraft that crashed in flames in an industrial area located by the airport. All three occupants and one person on the ground were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure shortly after takeoff.

Crash of a Beechcraft 65-B80 Queen Air in Armenia: 9 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1971 at 1309 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft 80 Queen Air

Operator:

Registration:

HK-844

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Armenia - Bogotá

MSN:

LD-307

YOM:

1966

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Armenia-El Edén Airport, while in initial climb, the pilot encountered engine problems and elected to return when control was lost. The airplane crashed on a hilly terrain located 5 km from the airfield and was totally destroyed. All nine occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure during initial climb.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-5-DK in Facatativá: 28 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1964 at 1845 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

HK-862

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Pereira – Bogotá

MSN:

12374

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The DC-3 took off from Pereira at 17:24 for a flight to Bogotá, via reporting points El Paso, Girardot and La Esperanza. The aircraft arrived overhear La Esperanza at 18:18 and was instructed to hold there at FL130. The flight was cleared to leave the intersection at 18:33 to the Bogotá VOR. The crew estimated to arrive over the Bogotá VOR at 18:44 and were then instructed to descend to FL120 for an ADF approach to Bogotá Airport, reporting at the Bogotá VOR at FL120 and over the outer marker at 9800 feet. The plane arrived abeam the Bogotá VOR ahead of schedule, at 18:41, and was instructed to maintain FL120 until 18:44. At 18:42 the flight crew reported seeing another aircraft in their vicinity. They thought it to be a DC-4, but was actually a Curtiss C-46 which had been cleared for final approach. The DC-3 crew took evasive action, losing control of the aircraft. The DC-3 crashed near Facatativá.

Probable cause:

The pilot of the aircraft in observing the presence of another aircraft abruptly initiated a right turn which ended in an abnormal 'nose below the horizon' attitude, which he was unable to rectify in time. The following factors were considered as contributing:
- Error of other personnel: The pilot of the other aircraft initiated the instrument descent from 12,000 feet after 2 min 55 sec, when the normal time would have been 1 min 15 or 20 sec, in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Bogotá approach-to-land chart and the Manual of Colombian Air Routes approved by the Administrative Directorate of Civil Aeronautics, thereby creating a risk of collision in the air;
- The pilot of the subject aircraft had been flying on DC-4s and C-46s as well as DC-3s. The psychological reaction of the pilot at a critical moment was certainly affected by habits acquired on DC-4 and C-46 aircraft.
- Possible failure of equipment (faulty distribution of flight instruments in the cockpit): This is a design effect, since the artificial horizon in the subject type of aircraft was hidden behind the pilot's control column, which made it more difficult to control the flight posture of the machine.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A Commando near Kingston: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1962 at 0350 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

HK-354X

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Fairbanks – Miami – Kingston – Bogotá

Location:

Kingston

Kingston City District

Country:

Jamaica

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The Curtiss C-46 operated on a ferry flight from Fairbanks to Bogotá via Miami and Kingston, carrying four spare engines and spare parts. The plane arrived at Kingston on November 25, 17:01 GMT. Following refueling of the aircraft, fuel was observed venting from the right front tank. This caused a delay in departure. At 08:47 GMT the next day, the C-46 lifted off from runway 29 after a long takeoff run and was cleared to climb ahead to 1500 feet. The plane started to turn left on crossing the coastline. Three minutes after takeoff, while still in a shallow climbing left-hand turn, the aircraft flew onto the southern face of Port Henderson Hills at a height of 700 feet. After scraping along rough ground over the brow of the hill, the aircraft fell down a steep precipice and caught fire.

Probable cause:

The aircraft was turned during the climb after takeoff at a height insufficient to clear rising ground. The ability of the pilot to avoid the hill may have been affected by some mechanical or other failure, although the occurrence of such a failure was not established. A contributing factor was that the carriage of one pilot was inadequate for the safe operation of an aircraft of this type.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL in Marulanda: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1962 at 1435 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

HK-502

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Manizales – Bogotá

MSN:

19653

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7579

Captain / Total hours on type:

3815.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1435

Copilot / Total hours on type:

240

Circumstances:

Douglas C-47A, HK-502 was on a non-scheduled domestic flight from Manizales Airport (elevation 3,380 feet) to Bogotá (elevation 8,355 feet). The aircraft took off from Manizales Airport at 1404LT with 2 crew and a load of cargo aboard. At 1420LT HK-502 reported its position over San Felix at an altitude of 12,500 feet and that it estimated Cambao at 1433LT. At 1435LT HK-502 declared an emergency. The aircraft crashed into the mountain immediately after this radio transmission. The accident site was approximately 32 miles from Manizales on a bearing of 300°. The accident was reported by the Salamina authorities at 1440LT. Both occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was due to the faulty procedure on the part of the pilot who made the en route climb from Manizales to San Felix at a low altitude, so that the aircraft became trapped in a canyon and crashed in the San Felix pass at La Aguadita after stalling during a turn at 9,000 feet.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-50-DK near Quito: 18 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1960 at 1145 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

45-1109

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Humanitarian

Survivors:

Site:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Schedule:

Bogotá – Quito

MSN:

17112/34379

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The USAF C-47 was performing a humanitarian flight from Bogotá to Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport on behalf of the US Mission. While descending to the airport at an altitude of 13,000 feet, the crew encountered low visibility due to clouds when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Pichincha. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 18 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

The crew continued the approach under VFR mode in IFR conditions.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina near Natagaima: 12 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

FAC-620

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Schedule:

Bogotá – Tres Esquinas

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Struck a mountain near Natagaima, Tolima, while on a flight from Bogotá to Tres Esquinas. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were conducted. The wreckage was found eleven days later, on March 24. All 12 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina near Cáqueza: 14 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1956 at 0705 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

HK-133

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site: