Date:	Saturday 18 November 2006
Time:	21:07
Type:	Boeing 727-23F
Owner/operator:	Aerosucre Colombia
Registration:	HK-3667X
MSN:	19430/366
Year of manufacture:	1966
Total airframe hrs:	66192 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	3,7 km N of Leticia-Alfredo Vásquez Cobo Airport (LET) -   Colombia
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Bogotá-Eldorado Airport (BOG/SKBO)
Destination airport:	Leticia-Alfredo Vásquez Cobo Airport (LET/SKLT)
Investigating agency:	Aerocivil
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Aerosucre flight 142, a Boeing 727 cargo plane, departed Bogotá at 19:35 hours local time on a flight to Leticia, Colombia. The aircraft carried 13166 kg of cargo, a crew of three and three passengers. Flight time was estimated to be 1 hour and 35 minutes.
While en route at FL270, the crew requested weather information for Leticia. A weather report from 01:00Z showed: wind calm, visibility 10 km, scattered clouds at 1000 feet, temperature 24 deg C.
The flight descended towards Leticia and was cleared for a straight in approach to runway 21. The air traffic controller instructed the flight to report at 3000 feet.
At 20:59 the controller reported that visibility had decreased to 4000 m due to patches of fog. Six minutes later the flight reported at 3000 feet, 9 miles from the airport. The crew requested an increase of the intensity of the runway lights, since there were no approach lights for runway 21. The approach was continued and the flight was cleared to land.
The aircraft descended until it impacted a 150-feet high transmission tower. It then hit trees and broke up.

PROBABLE CAUSE
Performing a flight under instrument conditions attempts to make an approach and landing under visual flight conditions without meeting the minimum requirements for this type of operation.
Performing a visual approach with reduced visibility for a runway without instrument approach procedure, which led to flying below safety minima and having descended to hit a transmission tower of private television channels.
The poorly planned approach and inadequate IFR operation that led to an erroneous judgement of the obstacle clearance margin.
The crew's inability to circumvent the obstacle on the ground by encountering unforeseen circumstances beyond their capacity.

Cayó avión de Aerosucre en cercanías del aeropuerto de Leticia (Amazonas) (El Tiempo, 19-11-2006)
Cinco muertos dejó accidente de avión carguero (El Pais, 19-11-2006)
Aeronautica Civil, Informe Preliminar 200628

photo (c) Marlo Plate; Santo Domingo-Las Americas Airport (SDQ); 21 December 2003

photo (c) via Werner Fischdick; February 1993

photo (c) via Andy Herzog; Bogotá-Eldorado Airport (BOG/SKBO); 10 January 1993

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