Investigation Summary
The accident aircraft, registration HK-1320, was a veteran turboprop that had previously served with Capital Airlines, Austrian Airlines, and Aloha Airlines before being acquired by Aeropesca in 1971. On the day of the accident, the flight was operating a domestic scheduled service between Florencia and Neiva. While traversing the mountainous terrain of southern Colombia, the crew encountered deteriorating weather. Rather than transitioning to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) or diverting, the crew attempted to maintain visual contact with the ground in conditions that did not permit safe VFR flight. This led to a loss of situational awareness regarding their proximity to terrain, culminating in a high-speed impact with Cerro Matiqui.
Final Conclusions
The Colombian authorities concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the crew's decision to continue flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) into meteorological conditions that were below the minimum requirements established in the Manual of Colombian air routes. This led to a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT).
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
Regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going.
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)
An accident in which an airworthy aircraft, under pilot control, is unintentionally flown into the ground, a mountain, or an obstacle.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a Vickers Viscount 745D with construction number 112.
- 02The aircraft was named 'Ciudad de Popayana'.
- 03The crash site was located at coordinates 2°02′N 75°28′W on Cerro Matiqui.
- 04All 50 souls on board, including 6 crew members and 44 passengers, perished in the impact.
- 05The flight was operated by Intercontinental de Aviación under the Aeropesca brand.
- 06The investigation cited a failure to adhere to the Manual of Colombian air routes regarding VFR minimums.
Safety Actions & Advisories
VFR Minimums Enforcement
The investigation emphasized the necessity of strict adherence to VFR weather minimums, particularly in the mountainous regions of Colombia where weather can deteriorate rapidly.