Accident description
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| Status: | |
| Date: | 11 JAN 1995 |
| Time: | 19:38 LT |
| Type: | Douglas DC-9-14 |
| Operator: | Intercontinental de Aviacion |
| Registration: | HK-3839X |
| C/n / msn: | 45742/26 |
| First flight: | 1966 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 65000 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 47 / Occupants: 48 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 52 / Occupants: 53 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | near Maria La Baja (Colombia)
 |
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Bogotá-Eldorado Airport (BOG/SKBO), Colombia |
| Cartagena-Rafael Núñez Airport (CTG/SKCG), Colombia | |
| Flightnumber: | 256 |
The DC-9 departed Bogotá at 18:43 for a flight (ITC 256) to Cartagena, San Andres, Panama City, Cali, and back to Bogotá. The aircraft was delayed for over six hours because of maintenance being done on the electrical systems.
After 19:34:15 hours, the DC-9 was descending from FL190 to FL080, nothing more was heard from Flight 256. At 19:38 hours the crew of Aerocorales Flight 209 (a Cessna Caravan) reported that they saw "the lights of an airplane in rapid descend", followed by a ground explosion.
The aircraft had crashed 40kms South of Cartagena. Just one occupant, a nine-year old girl survived.
Some reports say that the DC-9 had an unreliable altimeter, and that the flight reported out of FL210, when it was seen on radar to be leaving FL080!
Sources:
» CNNText
» NTSB
» PZC 13.1.95(1)
» Scramble 189(64)
Statistics
19th loss of a DC-9-10
3rd worst accident involving a DC-9-10 (at the time)
3rd worst accident involving a DC-9-10 (currently)
8th worst accident in Colombia (at the time)
11th worst accident in Colombia (currently) » figures explained
3rd worst accident involving a DC-9-10 (at the time)
3rd worst accident involving a DC-9-10 (currently)
8th worst accident in Colombia (at the time)
11th worst accident in Colombia (currently) » figures explained
Photos
N8901E is seen here withdrawn from use, prior to being exported to Colombia
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Bogotá-Eldorado Airport (BOG/SKBO) to Cartagena-Rafael Núñez Airport (CTG/SKCG) as the crow flies is 652 km (407 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
Distance from Bogotá-Eldorado Airport (BOG/SKBO) to Cartagena-Rafael Núñez Airport (CTG/SKCG) as the crow flies is 652 km (407 miles).
