What happened
At 06:47 local time, an aircraft operated by AIDA departed from Santa Cecilia Airport in Bogotá, destined for Quibdó and Medellín. The flight was carrying a total of 16 people, consisting of 11 passengers and 5 crew members. Despite the airport being closed at the time due to low visibility, the aircraft proceeded with its takeoff.
Shortly after departing under instrument conditions, the starboard engine experienced a failure. The aircraft remained airborne for roughly 23 minutes while traveling over the Sabana de Bogotá. While maintaining a magnetic heading of approximately 280 degrees, the plane struck Quetame Hill near Cáqueza at an altitude of 9,170 feet. The impact resulted in 14 fatalities and two injuries, involving the flight engineer and one passenger.
Findings
The investigation determined that a total failure of the starboard engine occurred because of a breakdown within the lubrication system. Several contributing factors were identified:
- The pilot's decision to depart from a closed airport during periods of poor weather, which made returning to the departure point impossible after the engine failed.
- An aircraft weight exceeding the maximum gross operating weight for Bogotá by 1,506 kg.
- Persistent adverse weather conditions throughout the flight duration.
- Maintenance and operational errors, specifically the failure to conduct a test flight following a turbine section replacement and the decision to declare HK-133 airworthy for passenger service.
- Inadequate oversight from airport authorities regarding takeoff regulations during closed periods.
- Organizational deficiencies within the operator regarding maintenance and dispatch responsibilities.
- The company's lack of a spare engine, which led to rushed and improper repair procedures.