Accident Boeing 727-134 HC-BLF,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 323125
 

Date:Monday 28 January 2002
Time:10:24
Type:Silhouette image of generic B721 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Boeing 727-134
Owner/operator:TAME Ecuador
Registration: HC-BLF
MSN: 19692/498
Year of manufacture:1967
Total airframe hrs:64001 hours
Cycles:49819 flights
Engine model:Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 94 / Occupants: 94
Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off
Category:Accident
Location:27 km NW of Ipiales -   Colombia
Phase: Approach
Nature:Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO/SEQU)
Destination airport:Tulcán Airport (TUA/SETU)
Investigating agency: Aerocivil
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
TAME Flight 120 was a scheduled flight from Quito to Cali, Colombia via Tulcán. The Boeing 727 took off from runway 17 at 10:03 for the first leg to Tulcán. The flight climbed to the cruising altitude of FL180 and proceeded on the G-675 airway towards Ipiales from where it was to turn to Tulcán. At 10:15 the flight contacted Tulcán Tower. At that moment the airplane was 29 miles from the Tulcán NDB. The crew received permission to descend to FL140 and was given the current weather information, which included 8000 metres visibility, few clouds at 200 metres and overcast at 500 metres. The approach procedure called for a speed of 180 kts, but the actual speed was much higher at 230 knots. During the descent the airplane flew into the side of the Nevado el Cumbal Volcano at 14,700 feet, 1400 feet below the summit.

PROBABLE CAUSE (translated from Spanish):
1) The decision of the instructor captain and his crew to initiate and continue the operation towards Tulcan airport below the meteorological minima established in the company's SOPs.
2) Inadequate navigation and operation of the aircraft by the pilot flying and directed by the instructor captain, consisting of entering the holding pattern of the Tulcan radio beacon with a speed of 230 knots indicated airspeed and with a banking of 15 degrees exceeding the maximum stipulated speed limit of 180 knots during the entire procedure including the holding pattern and using a banking below the recommended range of 25 to 30 degrees, thus exceeding the lateral navigation and obstacle protection limits of the holding pattern, leading this operation to the collision with El Cumbal Hill.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: Aerocivil
Report number: 
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

El Universo

Location

Images:


photo (c) Jesper Venema


photo (c) Werner Fischdick; Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO/SEQU) [HC]; 06 January 2000


photo (c) Ariel Corridor; Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO/SEQU); 15 August 1991

Revision history:

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