Background
Argentine tango singer Carlos Gardel and his entourage were traveling through Colombia as part of an extensive tour. The delegation had arrived in Cali from Bogotá, where a crowd of 5,000 gathered to see Gardel perform. The group then proceeded to Medellín.
Accident
On Monday, June 24, 1935, at 2:51 pm, a SACO Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor (registration F-31) began its takeoff roll from runway at Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín. The aircraft carried two crew members and 11 passengers, including Gardel and his team. Shortly after accelerating, the plane started to swerve and lost control. It veered off the runway and collided with a taxiing SCADTA Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor (registration C-31, nicknamed Manizales). A fire ensued, engulfing both aircraft. All occupants of the taxiing aircraft were killed, while only three people aboard the SACO plane survived with injuries. Gardel was among the fatalities.
Aircraft and Crew
The SACO aircraft was a Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor built in 1928, commanded by Captain Ernesto Samper Mendoza with a first officer. The SCADTA aircraft was built in 1932, crewed by Captain Hans Ulrich Thom and First Officer Hartmann Fuerst.
Aftermath
Both aircraft were destroyed. An investigation concluded that the SACO flight lost control due to strong lateral winds combined with irregularities in the runway surface, causing the left main landing gear to lift off the ground before rotation. A funeral procession was held for Gardel in Buenos Aires, and a memorial was erected at the airport. The last survivor of the accident died on September 11, 1982.