What happened
A chartered flight operating for the Colombian Army was performing a mission from Miraflores to Villavicencio, including a scheduled stop in San José del Guaviare. The aircraft was transporting three crew members and approximately 25 soldiers. During the initial climb phase after departing from runway 20, the left engine experienced an onboard fire.
In response to the fire, the crew began a right turn to execute an emergency return to the airfield. During this maneuver, smoke began to infiltrate the cabin. The situation escalated when the left main landing gear became detached from the aircraft. As the flight speed decreased, the crew attempted to perform an emergency landing, but the aircraft crashed in a forested area approximately 2 km from the airport. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. While all occupants were successfully rescued from the wreckage, several individuals sustained injuries.
Findings
- The primary sequence of events began with a fire in the left engine during the takeoff climb.
- The loss of the left main landing gear contributed to the loss of control during the emergency descent.