2007 Nacional de Aviación Let L-410 accident

The 2007 Nacional de Aviación Let L-410 accident occurred on 8 October 2007. On this day a Let L-410UVP-E10A, which was on a domestic flight from Villavicencio to Uribe, was flown into a mountain, killing all 17 occupants.

Accident sequence

The aircraft took off from Villavicencio Airport on 8 October 2007 at 15:30 on a regional flight to Uribe Airport. The flight was to be conducted under visual flight rules. The aircraft never arrived at its destination and was reported missing. On 11 October 2007 at 7:00 the wreck of the aircraft was finally found on a mountainside in the Páramo El Nevado. The accident site was at an altitude of 3,610 metres (approx. 11,800 feet). Only the deaths of the 17 occupants could be established.

Accident investigation

The accident was investigated by the Aeronautica Civil de Colombia. The investigation found that the crew had continued the flight under visual flight rules in deteriorating weather conditions over mountainous terrain. Navigation errors were said to have occurred in the process, as a result of which the aircraft flew into a mountainous area. The pilots were blamed for a lack of situational awareness regarding the nature of the terrain; in addition, they were said to have ignored for three minutes and six seconds the warning tones of the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System, which warned of an impending collision with the terrain. The investigators found that the crew of the Let L-410 had not attempted to make corrections to avoid a collision during this entire period. The alarm sounded until the aircraft collided with the mountainside.