 Aftermath of the accident. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 24, 1935 |
| Summary | Runway excursion and collision following a loss of control |
| Site | Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport, Colombia |
| Total fatalities | 17 |
| Total survivors | 3 |
| First aircraft | |
 A Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident. | |
| Type | Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor |
| Operator | Servicio Aéreo Colombiano - SACO |
| Registration | F-31 |
| Flight origin | Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport (EOH), Colombia |
| Destination | Bogotá Eldorado Airport (BOG), Colombia |
| Passengers | 11 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Survivors | 3 |
| Second aircraft | |
| A Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident. | |
| Type | Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor |
| Operator | SCADTA |
| Registration | C-31 |
| Flight origin | Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport (EOH), Colombia |
| Destination | Bogotá Eldorado Airport (BOG), Colombia |
| Passengers | 4 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The Medellin plane crash of 1935 was an accident involving two Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor aircraft at Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín, Colombia on June 24, 1935, killing all but 3 of the 20 people involved.[1]
Crew
The first aircraft (F-31) was under the command of Captain Ernesto Samper Mendoza (Great-uncle of Colombian President Ernesto Samper) and a First Officer. While the second plane consisted of Captain Hans Ulrich Thom and First Officer Hartmann Fuerst.[1]
Accident
The SACO F-31 plane was scheduled to take off from Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín, Colombia at 2:51 pm on June 24, 1935, on a scheduled flight to Bogotá, Colombia, carrying 2 crew and 11 passengers including famous Argentine singer Carlos Gardel and his entourage. F-31 started accelerating down the runway, when it suddenly started to swerve before losing control. It veered off the runway and collided with a taxiing aircraft (C-31, nicknamed Manizales), an explosion followed which engulfed both planes in flames. All passengers and crew on the taxiing C-31 were killed in the accident, while only 3 aboard F-31 survived with various injuries. Carlos Gardel was killed in the crash.[2]
Aircraft
The Ford 5-AT-B Trimotors involved were built in 1928 and 1932 respectively. The aircraft were in use of Servicio Aéreo Colombiano - SACO and SCADTA at the time of the accident.[1]
Aftermath
Both aircraft were destroyed in the accident, while all but three of the 20 occupants of the flights were killed. An investigation of the accident revealed that the SACO F-31 flight lost control following strong lateral winds in combination with irregularities in the surface of the runway, that led the left main gear to leave the ground before rotation.[3] A funeral procession was held for Gardel in Buenos Aires while a memorial was erected for him at the airport. The last survivor of the disaster Josep Plaja Gasch Joe, died on September 11, 1982.
See also
- Tenerife airport disaster, another instance where two planes collided on the runway.
References
- 1 2 3 "Accident Description". aviation-safety.net. 1996. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ "CRASH OF A FORD 5 IN MEDELLIN: 7 KILLED". baaa-acro.com. 1990. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ↑ "CRASH OF A FORD 5 IN MEDELLÍN: 10 KILLED". baaa-acro.com. 1990. Retrieved 9 December 2023.