Factual Information
On 20 February 2026 at 22:37 UTC, a serious incident occurred at Aeropuerto Internacional Eldorado (SKBO) in Bogotá, Colombia. Aircraft A, an Airbus A320-233 registered CC-COF, operated a commercial passenger flight with 163 occupants (6 crew, 157 passengers). Aircraft B, a Bell 212 registered FAC4021, operated by the State Aviation, carried 4 crew members.
Sequence of Events
The A320 was cleared for takeoff on runway 14R and began its takeoff roll. During the roll, the Bell 212 was observed flying parallel to the extended runway centerline and intended to cross the runway path. The A320 crew rejected the takeoff (RTO) and the aircraft stopped after passing taxiway K5. Simultaneously, the Bell 212 crossed the runway at taxiway K6. No collision occurred, and no occupants were injured.
Personnel Information
The A320 crew consisted of a Pilot in Command (PIC) and a Copilot. The Bell 212 crew included a Pilot and a Copilot. Air traffic controllers on duty included a Tower North Controller and a Tower South Controller.
Communications and ATC Aspects
Communications between ATC and the aircraft occurred on tower north and south frequencies. The investigation found saturation and overlap of transmissions, with partial loss of critical instructions and incomplete or incorrect readbacks. The helicopter did not comply with the instructed safety altitude and executed a non-standard and undocumented flight maneuver.
Probable Cause
The serious incident was caused by the crossing of a rotary-wing aircraft over the runway 14R path, preceded by its approach and overflight in proximity to that path, while a commercial transport aircraft was in takeoff roll. This occurred in a context of absence of detailed procedures for crossings between runway paths, degraded communications, and non-compliance with the instructed safety altitude, leading to an immediate conflict perceived by the crew and resulting in a high-energy, high-speed rejected takeoff.