What happened
On May 24, 2018, a Boeing 727-2S2F cargo flight, registration HK4637, was operating a route from Leticia to Bogotá. During the final approach to runway 13L at El Dorado International Airport, the aircraft entered an unstable approach characterized by deviations in heading, pitch, and roll, as well as erratic power applications. Despite the flight data recorder indicating that the aircraft was outside of established ILS parameters, the crew did not execute a go-around.
Shortly before touchdown, a "sink" alarm activated, indicating a high rate of descent. Although the pilot monitoring attempted a slight power adjustment, it was insufficient to correct the aircraft's attitude. The aircraft subsequently made a hard landing primarily on the nose gear. The impact caused one of the nose gear tires to burst, scattering debris across the runway. The aircraft taxied to taxiway B11, where it was eventually towed. The incident resulted in the temporary closure of runway 1 and caused significant damage to the nose gear, fuselage, and control surfaces, though all five occupants escaped without injury.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation focused on the flight data recorder (FDR) and the crew's decision-making process. Investigators found that the approach was unstable and that the crew failed to recognize or react to the deteriorating flight parameters. The investigation also noted that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) only contained audio from after the landing, limiting the analysis of cockpit communications during the critical approach phase. Furthermore, the investigation examined the operator's crew scheduling practices and the specific experience levels of the pilots on duty.