Loss of control Accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15F HK-4246X,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 322705

Date:	Thursday 18 December 2003
Time:	17:10
Type:	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15F
Owner/operator:	Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas
Registration:	HK-4246X
MSN:	47062/223
Year of manufacture:	1968
Total airframe hrs:	56703 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B (HK3)
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	135 km NE of Mitú - Colombia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	El Yopal Airport (EYP/SKYP)
Destination airport:	Mitú Airport (MVP/SKMU)
Investigating agency:	Aerocivil
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15F, operated on a non-scheduled cargo flight from Bogotá to Mitú, Colombia, with a refueling stop at El Yopal. After an uneventful flight the aircraft landed at El Yopal at 15:51 hours local time. Refueling took place and the aircraft departed for Mitú at 16:40 hours. The aircraft climbed to the en route altitude of FL290. Bogotá Control then cleared the flight to descend to FL180 and requested to the crew to contact Mitú Tower. At 17:08 hours the flight crew radioed Mitú Tower, stating they were descending through FL250 at 80 miles from Mitú. The tower controller then cleared the flight to the traffic pattern altitude of 7000 feet and to expect runway 01 for arrival.
Less than a minute later, at FL233, the flight crew heard a sudden loud noise, followed by another loud noise. The aircraft then entered an uncontrolled descent until it impacted terrain, killing all three occupants.
The wreckage was found on December 28.

PROBABLE CAUSE (translated from Spanish):
Breakage and detachment of a structural part of the aircraft for unspecified reasons, which caused the pilots to completely lose control of the aircraft, which fell from 23,300 feet to hit the ground.

Accident investigation: