What happened
A flight traveling from Guaymaral to Popayán, which included a scheduled stop in Girardot, ended in a fatal accident on Mt San Isidro. The aircraft, a twin engine plane, departed from Girardot-Santiago Vila Airport at 15:23 local time. At the time of departure, the aircraft was carrying one pilot and four passengers.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot established communication with Bogotá Control, reporting a flight level of 4,200 feet while heading west. At 15:37 local time, the pilot received the updated QNH pressure setting. During the subsequent cruise phase, the aircraft entered a cloud layer. Approximately two minutes after the pressure update, the aircraft struck trees and crashed into a mountain slope. The impact was followed by a post-crash fire that consumed the wreckage.
Search efforts located the debris on the side of the mountain five days after the incident. The aircraft was completely destroyed by the force of the impact and the resulting flames. There were five fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in instrument meteorological conditions (clouds) at the time of the collision.
- The crash involved a high-impact collision with terrain and vegetation.