Avianca Flight 203
Avianca Flight 203 was an internal flight from El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, Colombia. On November 27, 1989, the Boeing 727-21 (registered HK-1803) was destroyed by a bomb while flying over Soacha. All 107 passengers and 3 people on the ground were killed. The bombing was ordered by the Medellín drug cartel.
 HK-1803, the aircraft involved in the bombing | |
| Bombing summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 27, 1989 |
| Summary | Bombing |
| Place | Cerro Canoas, Soacha, Colombia 4°33′30″N 74°15′45″W / 4.55833°N 74.26250°WCoordinates: 4°33′30″N 74°15′45″W / 4.55833°N 74.26250°W |
| Passengers | 101 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 107 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 727-21 |
| Airline/user | Avianca |
| Registration | HK-1803 |
| Flew from | El Dorado Int'l Airport |
| Flying to | Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Int'l Airport |
Aircraft
The aircraft was a Boeing 727-21 with registration HK-1803. It was built in 1966 and delivered to Pan Am on May 28, 1966. In 1975, the aircraft was bought from Avianca. The aircraft changed registrations when bought.[1]
Flight
Flight 203 took off at 7:13 a.m. Shortly after, while at 13,000 feet (4,000 m), a bomb was set off, causing fuel to explode. A second explosion made the front of the aircraft to separate from the back of the aircraft. The debris was spread across the town of Soacha. All 107 passengers and crew and 3 people on the ground were killed. [1][2]
Aftermath
An investigation found the cause of the explosion to be plastic explosives. [3] Drug cartel leader, Pablo Escobar, planned the bombing. The reason was to kill Colombian presidential candidate, César Gaviria Trujillo. However, Gaviria did not get on the plane, and became the president of Colombia.[4]
In popular culture
The bombing was shown in Season 1 of the television show, Narcos.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ranter, Harro. Ranter, Harro; Lujan, Fabian I.; Jackman, Frank et al. eds (in English). Aircraft accident Boeing 727-21 HK-1803 Bogotá-Eldorado Airport (BOG). Alexandria, United States: Flight Safety Foundation. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19891127-0. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ↑ Prendergast, Alan (17 May 2001). Calhoun, Patricia; Le, Jane R.; Wilson, Michael et al.. eds. "The hit man nobody knows" (in English). Westword (Denver, United States: Denver Westword, LLC. (Voice Media Group/VMG National/Voice Media Group, LLC.)). https://www.westword.com/news/the-hit-man-nobody-knows-5066904. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ↑ González, Jorge (28 November 1989). Elvira, Enrique; Blasco, Isaac; Martínez, Álvaro et al.. eds (in Spanish). Más de cien muertos al estallar en vuelo un avión colombiano. 86. Madrid, Spain: Diario ABC, S.L. (Grupo Vocento/Vocento, S.A.). p. 17. . https://www.abc.es/archivo/periodicos/abc-madrid-19891128-17.html.
- ↑ "OBJETIVO: GAVIRIA" (in es). Semana. 8 May 1995. http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/objetivo-gaviria/25450-3. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ↑ Amaya, David (2016-09-02). Pablo Escobar's Most Savage Moments on 'Narcos'. https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/09/pablo-escobar-best-moments-on-narcos. Retrieved 2020-05-16.