Narrative:
At least five armed members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) hijacked the Fokker 50 during a domestic flight in Colombia. One hijacker entered the cockpit and issued specific flight instructions to the pilots. The plane was taken to a clandestine dirt airstrip near Simiti. An estimated 50 to 100 armed guerrillas herded the passengers into nearby boats on the Magdalena River. The guerrillas then took their hostages into the remote jungle area. Ransom payments were demanded for the hostages. As of December 31, 1999, fifteen people, including all of the flight crew, remained in captivity.
| Status: | 5 |
| Date: | Monday 12 April 1999 |
| Type: |  Fokker 50 |
| Operator: | Avianca |
| Registration: | PH-MXT |
| MSN: | 20300 |
| First flight: | 1994 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127B |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 41 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 46 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Aircraft fate: | Repaired |
| Location: | Simiti ( Colombia)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Bucaramanga-Palo Negro Airport (BGA/SKBG), Colombia |
| Bogotá-Eldorado Airport (BOG/SKBO), Colombia | |
| Flightnumber: | AV9463 |
At least five armed members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) hijacked the Fokker 50 during a domestic flight in Colombia. One hijacker entered the cockpit and issued specific flight instructions to the pilots. The plane was taken to a clandestine dirt airstrip near Simiti. An estimated 50 to 100 armed guerrillas herded the passengers into nearby boats on the Magdalena River. The guerrillas then took their hostages into the remote jungle area. Ransom payments were demanded for the hostages. As of December 31, 1999, fifteen people, including all of the flight crew, remained in captivity.
Classification:
HijackSources:
» Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 1999 / FAA, Office of Civil Aviation SecurityPhotos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Bucaramanga-Palo Negro Airport to Bogotá-Eldorado Airport as the crow flies is 288 km (180 miles).
Distance from Bucaramanga-Palo Negro Airport to Bogotá-Eldorado Airport as the crow flies is 288 km (180 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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