What happened
On December 3, 2008, at approximately 18:35 EST, an Aero Commander 5 00, registration HK1697, crashed in an open field near Cordoba, Colombia. The flight, operated by Taxi Aero Caribeno LTDA, departed from Olaya Herrera International Airport (SKMD) in Medellin, Colombia, with a planned destination of Los Garzones Airport (SKMR) in Monteria, Colombia.
Prior to the accident, air traffic controllers in Barranquilla had authorized the flight to descend to 5,000 feet when it reached the IRETO intersection, with instructions to report when 15 miles from the MTR VOR. The crew did not make the required position report. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds at 070 degrees at 3 knots.
Following the disappearance, a search and rescue operation was initiated. A military aircraft identified an unusual heat source in an open field, and local police subsequently located the wreckage. The crash resulted in 2 fatal injuries, as both the pilot and the copilot were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed.