Aires Boeing 737-73V plane crash
San Andrés Island, Colombia
Updated on
The Boeing 737-73V operated by Aires took off from Bogota, Colombia, for a passenger flight to San Andrés Island, Colombia. 125 passengers and 6 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crash-landed at San Andrés Island Airport. One passenger died. 119 people were injured (5 of them were seriously injured), and 11 unharmed.
Thunderstorms were reported in the vicinity of the Carribean Island when the Boeing 737 was approaching to the San Andrés Island Airport runway 06. At the time of the accident the visibility was reported at 4000 meters (13000 feet), rain and winds around 15 knots. The crew did not report any malfunction of the airplane and no emergency call was radioed prior to impact. The plane touched down short of the runway, the landing gear was torn off on impact, and the Boeing 737 slid onto the runway on its belly as the fuselage fractured. The Boeing 737 broke in three parts. Firefighters quickly doused the beginnings of a fire on a wing.
In interviews one of the pilots confirmed the airplane was struck by a lightning just short of the runway. The other did not recall a lightning strike, but a steep uncontrollable descent.
