What happened
A cargo flight originating from Bogotá-El Dorado Airport was en route to Mitú, with a scheduled stop in Yopal. The aircraft was transporting 14 drums of fuel along with three passengers and three crew members. During the approach to Mitú-Fabio A. León Bentley, the aircraft maintained an altitude that was too low, resulting in the left main landing gear striking a fence and being detached 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 performing a holding pattern to reduce weight by burning fuel, the right engine failed. The loss of power caused the aircraft to lose altitude, leading to 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
The sequence of events was initiated by an inadequate approach altitude that caused structural damage to the landing gear. This damage subsequently led to a loss of hydraulic pressure and the eventual failure of the right engine during the emergency diversion.