Cartagena – Bogotá

On January 15, 1966 at 08:55 PM, Cartagena – Bogotá experienced a crash involving Douglas C-54 Skymaster, operated by Avianca, with the event recorded near Cartagena Bolívar.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

64 people were known to be on board, 56 fatalities were recorded, 8 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 87.5%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 60, passenger fatalities: 52, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Shortly after takeoff from runway 36 at Cartagena-Crespo Airport, while climbing to a height of 70 feet, the airplane descended and eventually crashed into the sea some 1,310 meters past the runway end. All four crew members and 52 passengers were killed while eight others were rescued. The aircraft was destroyed.

Aircraft reference details include registration HK-730, MSN 18325, year of manufacture 1944.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 10.3823°, -75.5009°.