23 fatalities

1975-01-08: Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (FAC-688) — SATENA - Servicio de Aeronavegacion a Territorios Nacionales — El Doncello, Colombia

El Doncello, ColombiaFlight

On January 8, 1975, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration FAC-688) operated by SATENA - Servicio de Aeronavegacion a Territorios Nacionales was involved in an aviation accident near El Doncello, Colombia in flight. 23 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft crashed into mountainous terrain while flying through poor weather conditions. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781230712Data APIEditorial standards

A flight traveling through Caquetá crashed into mountainous terrain shortly after departing Puerto Rico, resulting in no survivors.

What happened

A scheduled flight operating between Neiva and Florencia, which included planned stops at San Vicente del Caguán and Puerto Rico, Caquetá, ended in a fatal accident. Shortly after the aircraft departed from Puerto Rico, it was navigating through difficult weather conditions. During the cruise phase of the flight, the plane struck mountainous terrain in the vicinity of El Doncello.

The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft type and led to the deaths of all 23 occupants. There were no survivors recovered from the wreckage.

Findings

  • The accident occurred while the aircraft was operating in marginal weather conditions.
  • The flight path involved multiple intermediate stops within the Caquetá region before the final destination.

Probable cause

The aircraft crashed into mountainous terrain while flying through poor weather conditions.