Accident Overview
On an afternoon departure from Pereira-Macareña Airport, a twin-engine aircraft bound for Bogotá-El Dorado Airport carried six passengers and two pilots. The flight had been cruising at an altitude of 15,000 feet when air traffic control cleared the crew to begin descent for an approach to runway 13R. Shortly afterward, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and subsequently crashed in a wooded area near Sasaima, approximately 42 kilometers northwest of Bogotá Airport. The impact completely destroyed the aircraft, and all eight occupants were killed.
Probable Cause Determination
Official investigation findings attributed the accident to a loss of control resulting from a double engine failure in flight caused by fuel exhaustion. At the time of the crash, all fuel tanks were empty. The crew had failed to properly calculate fuel consumption, and the fuel quantity allocated for the final leg from Pereira to Bogotá was insufficient. The aircraft had been operating a series of flights since October 26.