Aires Boeing 737-700 crash at San Andrés Island, Colombia

by B. N. Sullivan

A Boeing 737-700 aircraft operated by Colombian carrier Aires crashed on landing early this morning at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport (ADZ), San Andrés Island, Colombia.  At the time of the accident, the aircraft (registration HK-4682), operating as Aires Flight 4C-8250, was arriving at  San Andrés from Bogotá, Colombia (BOG).  The aircraft broke up into several pieces, but there was no fire.  According to a press release issued by the airline, there were six crew members and 121 passengers on board; one passenger was killed, and many were injured.

The aircraft had departed Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport a few minutes after midnight on August 16, 2010.  The accident occurred at 01:49 AM local time as the aircraft was attempting to land at San Andrés in poor weather.  According to the Aviation Herald, the aircraft touched down about 80 meters short of Runway 06 at ADZ.  The Aviation Herald also mentions that at the time of the accident, "the visibility was reported at 4000 meters (13000 feet), rain and winds around 15 knots, there were thunderstorms in the area."  Some news media have reported that the aircraft was hit by lightning while on approach, but this has not been officially confirmed.

A list of the names and disposition passengers on Flight 8250 has been posted on the Aires website.

Boeing has announced that a technical support team is being sent to assist with the accident investigation, at the invitation of Colombian authorities.

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