Aerosucre

Aerosucre S.A. is a cargo airline based in Bogotá, Colombia. It began operation in 1969 and operates scheduled international and domestic cargo services throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Its home base is El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá. Aerosucre has been involved in a number of accidents and incidents during its lifetime, and more recently, internet videos have emerged showcasing reckless behavior by its pilots.

History

Aerosucre was founded by Juan Carlos Solano Recio in Barranquilla in 1969, and began flight operations as an air taxi company in the spring of 1970, with a Piper PA-28.

By the spring of 1975, the company was focused primarily on freight transport, although it was still allowed to carry a maximum of five passengers on the flights. Initially, the company flew to the Colombian island of San Andrés and internationally to the islands of Aruba and Curaçao.

In 1981, Aerosucre acquired two Handley Page Heralds from British Air Ferries. Its first jet aircraft, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, was purchased in August 1982, from Spanish company Transeuropa.

On March 5, 1996, 150 kg of cocaine paste was discovered on an Aerosucre airplane in Leticia, Colombia, concealed among 21 t of fish.

Accidents and incidents

Aerosucre has been the site of many aviation incidents and accidents:

On September 16, 1976, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registered HK-1282)[7] disappeared without a trace on a cargo flight from Barranquilla to Oranjestad.[11] Two crew members were on board.[7]

On March 13, 1984, during an apparently illegal flight, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registered HK-1322P) was forced by air traffic control to return to Barranquilla. The plane crashed upon landing, killing four of the six occupants aboard.[7]

On November 27, 1986, a Sud Aviation Caravelle (registered HK-2850) aborted takeoff from Arauca, Colombia, due to control problems. The aircraft overran the runway and crashed into a ditch. No deaths resulted, although the plane was written off.[7]

On April 26, 1989, a Sud Aviation Caravelle (registered HK-3325X) crashed into an inhabited area shortly after taking off from Barranquilla. All five crew members were killed, along with two people on the ground. The cause was poorly secured cargo, which shifted during takeoff, causing the aircraft to stall.[7][12]

On November 5, 1989, a Handley Page Herald 401 (registered HK-2702) en route from Bogotá to Cali crashed into a mountain near the town of Roncesvalles, Tolima, during poor weather. All six occupants were killed.[7]

On June 20, 1991, a Douglas DC-6B (registered HK-3511X) crashed on its second attempt at landing at Barranquilla, killing two and injuring 20 of the 25 passengers on board.[7]

On September 29, 1991, a Sud Aviation Caravelle (registered HK-3288X) had its landing gear fail during takeoff, causing it to veer off the runway. All crew members and occupants survived.[13]

On May 1, 1995, a Boeing 727-100 (registered HK-1717) descended below the glide slope on approach to Taguatinga Airport, Brazil, touching down 6 m before the runway threshold.[14]

On June 25, 1997, the same aircraft, HK-1717, crossed the threshold of runway 31 at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, after having aborted takeoff.[15] All occupants were unharmed,[15] but the aircraft was declared a total loss and later scrapped.

On August 17, 2006, a Boeing 727-200 (registered HK-3985) suffered a landing-gear failure during taxi at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, resulting in damage to its left wing. The aircraft was declared a total loss and was scrapped.[16]

On November 18, 2006, a Boeing 727-200 (registered HK-3667X) on a cargo flight from Bogotá to Leticia crashed on approach to Leticia when it hit a 150 ft television antenna. The three crew members and two passengers were killed.[17][18]

On December 20, 2016, Aerosucre Flight 157, a Boeing 727-200 (registered HK-4544)[10] crashed after takeoff from Germán Olano Airport in Puerto Carreño. The aircraft overran the runway, crashed through a fence, crossed a road - where the aircraft nearly struck several civilians - and eventually became airborne, but lost altitude and crashed while attempting to return for an emergency landing. Five crew members died; one crew member survived, but suffered severe injuries.[19][20]

On 21 August 2021, a Boeing 737-230 (registered HK-5026) had to make an emergency landing back to Mitú, since the cargo door had opened in flight after taking off from Mitú.[21][22]

On 10 November 2024, a Boeing 727-200(F) (registered HK-5216) en route to Valencia, Venezuela, experienced a serious incident after it clipped a localizer array on departure from runway 14L at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia. The aircraft returned to the airport approximately one hour later, landing on runway 14R without further incident.[23][24]

On 12 December 2025, the same aircraft, a Boeing 727-200(F) (registered HK-5216) on a flight from Barranquilla to Bogota, returned to Barranquilla due to a problem with the left main gear. The plane touched down with the left wing on the runway and suffered substantial damage to the left wing.[25]

airline	Aerosucre S.A.
fleet size	5‡R1R‡
num employees	200-501‡R2R‡
destinations	20‡R3R‡
iata	A4
icao	KRE
callsign	AEROSUCRE
founded	1969
headquarters	Bogotá, Colombia
hubs	El Dorado International Airport
website	https://aerosucre.com.co/

History

Destinations

Fleet

Safety

Accidents and incidents

See also

External links

References