Accident Details
A single-engine aircraft conducting a survey flight over the Florencia area on behalf of the US Government experienced an engine failure while cruising at an altitude of 5,000 feet, eight minutes before it was due to arrive in Florencia. The aircraft was carrying four US citizens and one Colombian who were participating in an anti-narcotic program. The crew attempted an emergency landing, but the aircraft crashed on the slope of a mountain near El Para and burst into flames.
Survivors and Aftermath
All five occupants survived the accident. However, when FARC soldiers arrived at the scene, they shot both pilots and captured the other three occupants. The bodies of the two pilots were repatriated to the United States several days later. The three hostages were released more than five years afterward, in July 2008.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the engine failed after the turbine overheated in flight.