A Colombian military transport aircraft with 128 people on board crashed during takeoff on Monday near Puerto Leguizamo, killing at least 66 and injuring many, making it one of the country’s most lethal recent aviation accidents.
The Lockheed Martin-made Hercules C-130 went down on March 23 shortly after departing the small Amazonian town close to the Peruvian border, according to Colombia’s air force. Among the fatalities were 58 Army members, six air force personnel, and two national police officers. Four service members are still missing as searches continue.
Rescuers pulled 57 military personnel alive from the wreckage and evacuated them. One soldier reportedly left the scene without injuries.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said the aircraft struck the ground about 1.5 kilometers from the departure point, according to him, causing onboard ammunition to explode and the plane to catch fire. A fire department source told local outlets the plane appeared to impact near the runway’s end during takeoff, with a wing hitting a tree as it fell.
Thick black smoke rose from the crash scene while local residents rushed in to assist. Video footage online showed people speeding along dirt roads on motorcycles with wounded soldiers strapped to their backs, trying to reach the town’s only two clinics before military transport arrived. Air Force commander Carlos Fernando Silva later sent two aircraft equipped with 74 beds to transfer the injured to hospitals in Bogotá and other cities.
Rescue operations were severely impeded by the rough terrain, Deputy Mayor Carlos Claros told reporters. “I want to thank the people of Puerto Leguizamo who came out to help the victims,” Claros told RCN television. Victims’ bodies were taken to the town’s small morgue while injured survivors were flown to larger hospitals for care.
Sánchez described the event as a “tragic accident,” stating that investigators have found no evidence the aircraft was attacked by rebel groups in the region. He said the plane had been deemed airworthy and the crew was “duly qualified.”
President Gustavo Petro used the tragedy to criticize administrative hurdles he blames for delaying modernization of the military’s aging fleet. “If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to the challenge, they must be removed,” Petro said. Opponents noted that reduced flight hours for military aircraft under his administration, tied to budget cuts, can result in less experienced flight crews.
The crash occurred as Petro nears the end of his term. He cannot run again, and Colombia’s presidential election is scheduled for May 31. Multiple candidates expressed condolences and urged a full investigation.
The plane was a C-130H Hercules, an older variant that first entered service in March 1965, per Lockheed Martin. Records show the aircraft was donated to the Colombian Air Force by the U.S. Air Force in September 2020. Aviation specialist Erich Saumeth told reporters the plane underwent an overhaul in 2023, during which its engines and key parts were inspected or replaced.
The Hercules C-130 series have been central to Colombia’s military transport since the late 1960s. The aircraft first flew in August 1954 and are still widely used to move troops amid Colombia’s decades-long internal conflict, which has caused more than 450,000 deaths. Colombia has upgraded some older C-130s with newer U.S.-transferred models under programs allowing surplus military equipment transfers. The tail number of the crashed plane matches the first of three aircraft recently delivered by the U.S.
A Lockheed Martin representative said the firm was committed to helping with Colombia’s investigation.
This incident is the second significant recent C-130 crash in South America. On February 27, a Bolivian Air Force C-130 ran off the runway in bad weather while landing at El Alto, hit a busy highway, and caused more than 20 deaths. That aircraft was carrying newly printed banknotes, which scattered and drew chaotic crowds dispersed by police with tear gas.
Puerto Leguizamo, in Putumayo province, lies in a remote but strategically located area of Colombia bordering Ecuador and Peru. The flight was transporting troops to Puerto Asis, also in Putumayo near the Ecuador border. The region’s isolation made rescue work especially difficult, with locals acting as first responders before formal emergency teams arrived.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and officials stress there is no sign of foul play or an attack by illegal armed groups. Military investigators and aviation specialists will examine the wreckage, flight data, and eyewitness reports over coming weeks to determine the reason for the failed takeoff.