What happened
On September 15, 2016, at approximately 15:22 UTC, a midair collision occurred near the Santiago Vila Aerodrome (SKGI) in Flandes, Tolima, Colombia. The accident involved two aircraft performing local flight training maneuvers: a Cessna 152, registration HK2092G, and a Piper 28-140, registration HK1328G.
At the time of the collision, the Cessna 152 was executing a right-hand traffic pattern for runway 20, while the Piper 28-140 was performing left-hand traffic maneuvers. The impact caused the Cessna 152 to plummet into the Magdalena River. The crew of the Piper 28-140 immediately reported the collision to Air Traffic Control (ATC), stating that another aircraft had struck their tail. The Piper 28-140 managed to perform an emergency landing on runway 02, though the impact caused the nose gear to detach and resulted in significant damage to the aircraft.
Search and rescue operations involving multiple Colombian agencies, including the Navy and the Air Force, lasted ten days. The wreckage of the Cessna 152 was eventually located in the river, and both occupants—an instructor and a student pilot—were tragically confirmed deceased.