What happened
A cargo operation traveling from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport toward Mitú via Yopal experienced a sequence of critical incidents leading to a fatal accident. The aircraft, which was transporting 14 drums of fuel along with three passengers and three crew members, was performing an approach at Mitú-Fabio A. León Bentley when it descended below the required altitude. During the short final phase of this approach, the left main landing gear collided with a fence, resulting in its separation from the airframe.
This impact triggered a hydraulic system failure. In response to the emergency, the captain elected to divert the flight to Yopal Airport. While the aircraft was executing a holding pattern near Yopal to reduce weight by burning fuel, the right engine ceased functioning. The loss of power caused the aircraft to lose altitude, ultimately resulting in a crash approximately 7.9 km before reaching runway 05. The accident resulted in three fatalities, including one crew member, while three individuals were successfully rescued.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical errors by the flight crew. The primary cause was determined to be a lack of situational awareness by the pilot-in-command during the approach to Mitú, alongside an inadequate emergency plan for the diversion to Yopal. Additional contributing factors included:
- A passive response from the crew, particularly the captain, during the unfolding emergency
- Deficiencies in crew resource management
- Ineffective communication between crew members
- Insufficient experience levels of the co-pilot