What happened
On the evening of the accident, a Douglas DC-3 departed from Pereira at 17:24, scheduled to fly to Bogotá via several waypoints including El Paso, Girardot, and La Esperanza. After being ordered to hold at FL130 near La Esperanza, the flight was cleared to proceed toward the Bogotá VOR at 18:33. The crew was subsequently instructed to descend to FL120 for an ADF approach to Bogotá Airport.
The aircraft reached the Bogotá VOR ahead of its estimated time at 18:41. During this period, at 18:42, the flight crew observed another aircraft in their immediate vicinity. While the crew initially believed the other plane was a DC-4, it was actually a Curtiss C-46 that had been cleared for its final approach. In an attempt to avoid a collision with the C-46, the pilot of the Douglas DC-3 performed an abrupt evasive maneuver. This action caused the aircraft to lose control, resulting in a crash near Facatativá.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing elements. The primary cause was the pilot's sudden right turn, which resulted in a dangerous nose-down attitude that could not be recovered.
Several secondary factors were noted:
- A procedural error by the crew of the second aircraft, who began their instrument descent from 12,000 feet significantly later than prescribed by Colombian air route manuals, increasing the risk of a mid-air collision.
- The pilot's previous experience operating larger aircraft, such as DC-4s and C-46s, may have influenced his psychological response and instinctive reactions during the encounter.
- A cockpit design issue where the artificial horizon was partially obscured by the control column, making it difficult for the pilot to monitor and correct the aircraft's pitch during the maneuver.