Command Palette

Search for a command to run...

Discover

Colombian Air Force C-130 Crash Kills 66 Near Puerto Leguízamo in Amazon

Colombian Air Force C-130 Crash Kills 66 Near Puerto Leguízamo in Amazon
Click to expand

A Colombian Air Force transport plane carrying more than 120 people crashed shortly after takeoff in the country’s southern Amazon region on Monday, killing at least 66 and injuring dozens more in one of Colombia’s deadliest military aviation disasters in decades apnews +1. The C-130 Hercules went down minutes after leaving Puerto Leguízamo in Putumayo province, near the border with Peru and Ecuador, and burst into flames as ammunition on board detonated aljazeera +1.

Authorities said the aircraft, a U.S.-donated C‑130H overhauled in 2023, was transporting mostly army personnel along with crew and a small number of police officers when it crashed roughly 1.5–2 kilometers from the runway apnews +2. Rescuers pulled survivors from the wreckage and surrounding jungle as the death toll climbed through the day, with four people still listed as missing by late evening apnews.

What Happened in the Minutes After Takeoff?

The plane took off around 9:50 a.m. local time from Puerto Leguízamo’s small airstrip before suffering what commanders described as a sudden problem during its initial climb cnn +1. Air force chief Gen. Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda said the transport “had a problem and went down about two kilometers from the airport,” breaking apart and igniting on impact apnews +1. On board were approximately 128 people, including 115 army personnel, 11 crew members and two National Police officers, though counts varied slightly as authorities revised their figures apnews +2.

Locals reported hearing explosions as ammunition carried on the flight detonated in the fire, complicating rescue efforts and destroying much of the wreckage aljazeera +1. General Hugo Alejandro López Barreto, head of the armed forces, confirmed 66 deaths, saying “as a consequence of this tragic accident, 66 of our military elements died” apnews. At least 57 people were evacuated alive, many with serious burns and trauma injuries, to clinics in Puerto Leguízamo and larger hospitals in regional cities and Bogotá apnews +1.

Safety Questions and Political Fallout

Military and aviation authorities opened an investigation but said there was no indication the crash was caused by an attack from armed groups active in the border region apnews +1. Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez stressed the aircraft was considered airworthy and the crew “duly qualified,” while an aviation analyst pointed to potential engine failure shortly after takeoff as a key line of inquiry that would require detailed review of maintenance records and operational conditions apnews +1. The Hercules had been donated by the United States in September 2020 and underwent a major overhaul in 2023, placing scrutiny on recent maintenance work and Colombia’s aging transport fleet apnews +2.

President Gustavo Petro called the crash a “horrendous accident” and used it to renew calls for faster modernization of military hardware, warning that officials who obstruct upgrades “must be removed” apnews +1. The disaster followed a January crash of a Satena passenger plane that killed 15 people, including a lawmaker, intensifying concern over Colombia’s broader aviation safety record cnn. In Puerto Leguízamo, meanwhile, local authorities praised residents who rushed to the scene and ferried the wounded by motorcycle and truck to overstretched clinics in the remote Amazon town apnews +1.

The Bigger Picture

The crash exposed both the risks of flying heavily loaded military transports out of remote jungle airstrips and the vulnerabilities of Colombia’s aging air fleet as it operates in difficult terrain. As investigators sift through the charred remains of the C‑130 and analyze flight data, the findings are likely to feed a wider national debate over defense spending, maintenance standards and emergency preparedness in frontier regions where state presence depends heavily on airlift.