What happened
On the evening of the accident, an Aerocorales flight departed from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport at 18:43 local time. The departure was delayed by six hours due to previously identified issues with the aircraft's electrical systems. After receiving clearance to begin its descent toward Cartagena-Rafael Núñez Airport, the Cessna 208 transitioned from flight level 190 down to flight level 080.
During this descent phase, air traffic control lost radar contact with the aircraft. Shortly thereafter, the pilot of another Cessna 208 reported to the ARTCC that an aircraft was descending vertically and had struck a marshy area near María La Baja. Search efforts located the wreckage approximately 40 km southeast of the Cartagena Airport. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate. Of the people on board, 51 fatalities were recorded, though one nine-year-old girl was recovered from the debris alive.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a significant delay prior to departure due to technical problems with the electrical systems.