SAM Colombia Flight 501 was a Boeing 727-46 that crashed on 19 May 1993, killing all 132 on board. The aircraft collided with a mountain while on approach to Medellín, Colombia.

SAM Colombia Flight 501

A SAM Colombia Boeing 727, similar to the one involved
Accident
Date	19 May 1993
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain aggravated by pilot error and inclement weather
Site	Mt. Paramo Frontino, near José María Córdova International Airport, Medellín, Colombia
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Boeing 727-46
Operator	SAM Colombia
Registration	HK-2422X
Flight origin	Tocumen International Airport, Panama City, Panama
Stopover	José María Córdova International Airport, Medellín, Colombia
Destination	El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá, Colombia
Passengers	125
Crew	7
Fatalities	132
Survivors	0

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Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 727-46, registered as HK-2422X (factory no. 18876, serial no. 217), which was built in 1965 and had its maiden flight on December 30 of that year. The aircraft was powered by three Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7A turbofan engines. The aircraft was delivered to Japan Airlines on January 7, 1966, and was registered as JA8309. On November 16, 1972, the airliner was leased to Korean Air, where it was re-registered as HL7309. On November 9, 1980, Korean Air sold the aircraft to SAM Colombia, where it was re-registered as HK-2422X.[1][2]

Accident

At 14:18, Flight 501 took off from Panama City, Panama, bound for Bogotá, Colombia, with a stopover in Medellín. The aircraft climbed to flight level 160 (about 16,000 feet (4,900 m)). On board were 7 crew members and 125 passengers, including several Panamanian dentists on their way to a convention.[1][3]

Thunderstorm activity in the area made automatic direction finder (ADF) navigation more difficult, and the Medellín VOR/DME was unusable, having been attacked by terrorists. The crew reported over the Abejorral NDB beacon at FL160, as they were approaching Medellín. The flight was then cleared to descend to FL120 (about 12,000 feet (3,700 m)), after which communication was lost. After multiple failed attempts to contact the flight, Medellín ATC declared an emergency.[1][3]

Because the radio beacon was unserviceable, the crew made navigational errors. The 727 had actually not yet reached the beacon, and descended into mountainous terrain. The flight then struck the 3,749-metre-high (12,300 ft) Mount Paramo Frontino.[1][3]

References

External links

• Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network

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[de] SAM-Colombia-Flug 501

[it] Volo SAM Colombia 501

[ru] Катастрофа Boeing 727 под Медельином