SADELCA

SADELCA Ltda., an acronym derived from Sociedad Aérea Del Caquetá, is a Colombian cargo airline. The carrier is based at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, the country's principal commercial aviation hub. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about the company's ownership, founding date, corporate development, route network, and management, but identifies it as an air-transport operator with a particular focus on cargo services. The airline's history is associated with aircraft suited to operations in Colombia's geographically challenging environment. Its recorded fleet has included the Douglas DC-3 and DC-4 families, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain and C-54 Skymaster, and later Soviet-designed Antonov aircraft. These types are known for their utility on regional and freight operations, particularly where ruggedness, payload flexibility, and operation from less-developed airfields are important. The historical fleet also indicates that SADELCA has operated across several generations of transport aircraft rather than being tied to a single equipment family. SADELCA's operational record includes both scheduled passenger activity in its earlier history and later identification as a cargo carrier. Two reported accidents and incidents form part of the airline's documented history. On January 27, 1978, a Douglas DC-3D operating flight HK-1351 crashed at Cerro Granada in Caquetá while conducting a scheduled passenger service. The aircraft struck mountainous terrain in cloud-obscured conditions, and all twelve people aboard were killed. On August 11, 1981, a Douglas DC-4 registered HK-136 made an emergency landing during a flight from Florencia to Neiva. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, but no fatalities were reported. As of May 2024, the listed fleet consisted of one Antonov An-26B-100, one Antonov An-32B, and one Douglas DC-3D. This small fleet profile suggests a specialized operator rather than a large scheduled passenger airline. The available material does not establish a broad international network, a public stock-market listing, a parent group, or a current consumer-facing brand portfolio. SADELCA is therefore best characterized as a Colombian aviation company whose identity is primarily connected with regional and cargo air transport, supported by a small fleet of utility aircraft.

SADELCA Ltda. is a Colombian airline whose name expands to Sociedad Aérea Del Caquetá. The available reference material identifies it as a cargo carrier based at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá. It does not provide a verified founding year, founder, ownership history, parent company, or detailed account of the airline's corporate evolution. The documented fleet history places SADELCA among operators of practical, durable transport aircraft. Former equipment included the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Douglas C-54 Skymaster, Douglas DC-3C, and Douglas DC-4. These aircraft were widely used for passenger, cargo, and utility transport during the development of regional aviation. The presence of these types is consistent with an airline serving demanding domestic routes and freight requirements, although the available source does not provide a complete route list or a year-by-year fleet chronology. SADELCA's historical operations were not exclusively cargo-oriented. On January 27, 1978, one of its Douglas DC-3D aircraft, registered HK-1351, was conducting a scheduled passenger flight when it crashed into Cerro Granada in Colombia's Caquetá region. The crash site was at approximately 6,800 feet, and cloud conditions obscured the mountain. All twelve occupants were killed. The event is part of the airline's recorded operational history and is not described in the reference material as involving misconduct or a regulatory scandal. On August 11, 1981, a SADELCA Douglas DC-4 registered HK-136 made an emergency landing during a flight from Florencia to Neiva. The aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair, but there were no fatalities. This incident further documents the airline's use of large piston-powered transport aircraft during the period when it was operating scheduled domestic services. The carrier's later fleet shifted toward Antonov utility aircraft. As of May 2024, SADELCA was reported to operate one Antonov An-26B-100, one Antonov An-32B, and one Douglas DC-3D. The small fleet and aircraft types point to a focused regional and cargo role rather than the profile of a large passenger airline. Public sources supplied for this entry do not establish the company's current route structure, cargo specialties, financial condition, leadership, or corporate affiliations. Its present status is consequently described conservatively as an active Colombian cargo airline based on the most recent fleet information available in the reference material.

• 2024

  Fleet reported with Antonov aircraft

  [1]SADELCAen.wikipedia.org

  The reported May 2024 fleet comprised one Antonov An-26B-100, one Antonov An-32B, and one Douglas DC-3D.

• 1981

  DC-4 emergency landing

  [1]SADELCAen.wikipedia.org

  Douglas DC-4 HK-136 made an emergency landing during a Florencia–Neiva flight. The aircraft was destroyed beyond repair, with no reported fatalities.

• 1978

  Fatal DC-3D crash in Caquetá

  [1]SADELCAen.wikipedia.org

  SADELCA Douglas DC-3D HK-1351 crashed at Cerro Granada during a scheduled passenger flight in cloud-obscured mountainous terrain. All twelve occupants died.

A specialized Colombian air carrier focused on cargo and regional transport using rugged utility aircraft.

• Cargo airline services

  Air cargo transportation

  SADELCA's principal identified business is air cargo transportation within Colombia. The airline's reported use of Antonov An-26 and An-32 aircraft is consistent with freight and utility missions requiring robust aircraft and flexible payload capability. The available reference does not specify commodities, customers, schedules, or individual cargo routes.

• Regional aviation

  Regional passenger and utility air transport

  Historical records show SADELCA operating scheduled passenger flights, including services involving Florencia and Neiva. Its former Douglas aircraft fleet supported regional transport before the company became identified primarily as a cargo airline. Current passenger offerings are not documented in the supplied sources.

• 2024

  SADELCA fleet listed with Antonov and Douglas aircraft[1]SADELCAen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  The airline's reported fleet as of May 2024 comprised one Antonov An-26B-100, one Antonov An-32B, and one Douglas DC-3D.

• 1981

  SADELCA Douglas DC-4 makes emergency landing near Neiva[1]SADELCAen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A SADELCA Douglas DC-4 registered HK-136 made an emergency landing while flying from Florencia to Neiva. The aircraft was written off, but no one was killed.

• 1978

  SADELCA Douglas DC-3D crashes at Cerro Granada[1]SADELCAen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A SADELCA Douglas DC-3D registered HK-1351 crashed into mountainous terrain at Cerro Granada in Caquetá during a scheduled passenger flight. Cloud obscured the mountain, and all twelve people aboard died.

1. 1SADELCAen.wikipedia.org