Cundinamarca | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

At 0615LT, the airplane departed Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport Runway 04 on a flight (service AV626) to Orocué with intermediate stops in Yopal and Trinidad, carrying 14 passengers and 3 crew members. Shortly after 0630LT, while cruising in excellent weather conditions, the pilot of a second Avianca DC-3 registered HK-1341 that departed the same airport about five minutes later apparently tried to reach the first airplane. Doing so, both airplanes collided, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed on Mt Las Polomas near the village of Villapacelly, about 71 km northeast of Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport. Both airplanes were totally destroyed and all 38 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Manuel E. Medina Herrera, pilot,
Julio Varona Matta, copilot,
Gustavo Amortegui, flight engineer.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the following factors:
- Lack of discipline on part of the pilot of HK-1341 when performing a reaching maneuver without observing the requirements established for such maneuver in the Aeronautical Regulations Manual.
- The flight crews were not in optimal psycho-physical condition to perform their duties, due to the minimal or almost nonexistent horizontal rest they enjoyed before starting their flight activities, despite having the regulatory rest hours provided by the company.
- The pilot-in-command of DC-3 HK-107, who had the right of way during the flight, had no involvement whatsoever in the collision and subsequent accidents of both aircraft, as he was complying with the regulations when having the right of way.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A near Villapacelly: 21 killed

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1972 at 0633 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

HK-1341

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Villavicencio – Yopal – Paz de Ariporo – Tame – Arauca – Saravena – Cúcuta

MSN:

11716

YOM:

1943

Flight number:

AV630

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

4328

Captain / Total hours on type:

2294.00

Aircraft flight hours:

29437

Circumstances:

At 0620LT, the airplane departed Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport Runway 04 on a flight (service AV630) to Cúcuta with intermediate stops in Yopal, Paz de Ariporo, Tame, Arauca and Saravena. On board were 18 passengers and 3 crew members. About 10 minutes later, while cruising in excellent weather conditions, the pilot apparently tried to reach a second Avianca DC-3 registered HK-107 that departed the same airport about five minutes earlier. Doing so, both airplanes collided, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed on Mt Las Polomas near the village of Villapacelly, about 71 km northeast of Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport. Both airplanes were totally destroyed and all 38 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Alvaro Gómez Molano, pilot,
Carlos A. López Ruiz, copilot,
Martin E. Correal, flight engineer.

Probable cause:

Final Report:

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

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1968 at 1143 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Operator:

Registration:

HK-1101-G

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Barrancabermeja – Bogotá

MSN:

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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 Douglas C-47 near Chipaque: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1966 at 1822 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

FAC-675

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bogotá – Barranca de Upía – San Pedro de Arimena – Orocué – San Luis de Palenque – Aguazul – Monterrey – Paz de Ariporo – Cravo Norte – Coroza – Tame – Bogotá

Location:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a special flight out from Bogotá and return on behalf of the Bank of Bogotá, carrying people from isolated area. Following stopover in Barranca de Upía, San Pedro de Arimena, Orocué, San Luis de Palenque, Aguazul, Monterrey, Paz de Ariporo, Cravo Norte, Coroza and Tame, the aircraft was returning to the capital city with nine passengers and two pilots on board. About eight minutes before the ETA at El Dorado Airport, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located near Chipaque. The aircraft was destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas B-18A Bolo in San Pedro de Jagua: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 29, 1965

Type of aircraft:

Douglas B-18 Bolo

Operator:

Registration:

HK-537

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

2534

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances while completing a cargo flight, carrying a load of food. All three crew members were killed.

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

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1964 at 1845 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

HK-862

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

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 Rockwell Aero Commander 680 in Puerto Salgar: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1958

Type of aircraft:

Rockwell Aero Commander 680

Operator:

Registration:

FAC-552

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Palanquero – Puerto Salgar

MSN:

680-453-123

YOM:

1958

Location:

Puerto Salgar-Capitan Germán Olano Moreno

Cundinamarca

Country:

Colombia

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Puerto Salgar-Capitan Germán Olano Moreno Airport, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Río Magdalena. Both crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas B-26C Invader near Madrid AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1958 at 0830 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-26 Invader

Operator:

Registration:

FAC-2512

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Palanquero – Madrid – Apiay

MSN:

27437

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft departed Palanquero Airport at 0730LT. While approaching Madrid AFB near Bogotá, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all three crew members.

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

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1956 at 0705 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Operator:

Registration:

HK-133

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bogotá – Medellín - Quibdó

MSN:

21998

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Santa Cecilia Airport, Bogotá at 0647LT bound for Medellín and Quibdó, carrying a crew of 5 and 11 passengers. Take-off was made at a time when the airport was closed due to poor visibility. While flying on instruments a few moments after take-off, the starboard engine failed. The aircraft continued its flight over the Sabana de Bogotá for approximately 23 minutes, following which, while flying on a magnetic heading of approximately 280 degrees, it crashed violently (at approximately 0705LT) against the Quetame Hill located near Cáqueza, about 30 km southeast of Bogotá, at an elevation of 9,170 feet. The flight engineer and one passenger were injured while 14 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The probable cause of the accident was a complete failure of the starboard engine due to the breakdown of the lubricating system. The following factors were considered as contributing:
- Recklessness of the pilot in taking off from a closed airport while aware of the poor weather conditions prevailing throughout the Sabana, a circumstance which prevented returning to the airport of departure when complete breakdown of the starboard engine occurred,
- The 1,506 kg overload of the aircraft above the maximum gross operating weight for Bogotá according to the performance curves of the aircraft,
- The adverse weather conditions prevailing from the moment of take-off until the moment of the accident,
- An error of judgment on the part of the Operations and Maintenance Sections of the Company in failing to provide for a test flight of the aircraft after the turbine section had been changed and in finding aircraft HK-133 airworthy for the purpose of a scheduled flight with passengers under such conditions,
- The lack of competent air traffic and weather authorities at Santa Cecilia airport in a position to check civil aviation regulations and to prohibit take off from a closed airport,
- Faulty internal organization within AIDA which should have defined exactly the duties of the Maintenance Superintendent, of the Maintenance Chief and of the Dispatcher,
- The failure of the Company to have available a spare engine which would have avoided carrying out such delicate repair work in a hasty manner.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver in Salto Del Tequendama: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1955

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Operator:

Registration:

FAC-113

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bogotá – Melgar

MSN:

532

YOM:

1953

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Weather conditions deteriorated enroute and the single engine aircraft crashed near Salto Del Tequendama, killing all three occupants. The airplane left Bogotá-Techo Airport at 1030LT.

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