West Caribbean Airways Flight 9955

West Caribbean Airways Flight 9955 was a scheduled flight between Isla de Providencia and San Andres Island, Colombia that crashed on 25 March 2005, killing 9 of the 14 passengers and crew on board.

West Caribbean Airways Flight 9955
A L-410 Turbolet similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date25 March 2005 (2005-03-25)
SummaryStalled shortly after take-off due to engine flameout
SiteEl Embrujo Airport, Colombia
Aircraft
Aircraft typeLet L-410 Turbolet
OperatorWest Caribbean Airways
IATA flight No.YH9955
ICAO flight No.WCW9955
Call signWEST 9955
RegistrationHK-4146
Flight originEl Embrujo Airport
DestinationGustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport
Occupants14
Passengers12
Crew2
Fatalities9
Injuries5
Survivors5

Accident

The aircraft, a Let L-410 Turbolet, had just taken off from El Embrujo Airport at 9:50, when the left engine flamed out. The crew continued with the takeoff, but the speed of the aircraft decreased rapidly. The aircraft then banked dangerously too far to the right and stalled. The aircraft crashed into a mangrove forest, located just 113 metres (371 ft) from the airport runway.[1]

Both pilots and 7 of the 12 passengers were killed in the crash. (One passenger initially survived the crash, but succumbed to their injuries shortly after being rescued). The survivors were taken to hospitals in San Andrés and Bogotá.[2]

Aftermath

This crash further worsened the already critical situation that had been facing West Caribbean Airways. Only 5 months later, the airline suffered another fatal and even deadlier accident when on 16 August 2005, flight 708, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashed in Venezuela killing all 160 people on board. The airline ceased operations in October the same year.

See also

References

  1. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Let L-410UVP-E HK-4146 Providencia-El Embrujo Airport (PVA)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  2. Tiempo, Casa Editorial El. "8 MUERTOS AL CAER AVIÓN EN PROVIDENCIA" [8 DEAD ON FALLING AIRPLANE IN PROVIDENCIA]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-10-05.
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