The four engine aircraft was chartered by the Colombian Army to transfer 80 soldiers from Bogotá to Arauca. They were seating on the cabin floor with their equipment. In the morning, the crew encountered technical problems after takeoff from Bogotá Airport and was forced to return. After repairs were completed, the aircraft departed again before noon. During initial climb, the engine n°1 caught fire. The crew declared an emergency and was cleared to return when the fire spread to the engine n°2. The captain realized he could not reach the airport so he attempted an emergency landing in a pasture located 16 km from the airfield. The aircraft belly landed and slid for about 400 meters before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All 85 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause (official findings): Failure and explosion of engine n°1 for unknown reasons.