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What led to Hercules C-130 plane crash in Colombia that killed 66 people?
A Colombian aviation expert and military analyst reportedly said that the Hercules C-130 that crashed on Monday had been donated to Colombia by the US in 2020.
At least 66 people lost their lives after a military transport plane, carrying 128 people, crashed shortly after take off in Colombia's Puerto Leguizamo on Monday.
The head of Colombia's armed forces, General Hugo Alejandro López Barreto, said that dozens were injured in the incident, adding that four military personnel were still missing.
The Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130 transport plane had 128 people on board, including 115 from the Army, 11 Air Force members and two from the National Police. Baretto said that 57 people had been evacuated.
Videos and images of the incident showed a thick black cloud of smoke rising from a field where the plane had crashed, with a truck of soldiers rushing to the site.
"Sadly, as a consequence of this tragic accident, 66 of our military elements died,” the head of the armed forces said. He further stated, "At the moment, we have no information, or indications, that it was an attack by an illegal armed group."
Injured soldiers were reportedly being rushed from the site on motorcycles driven by local residents, while another set of locals tried putting out the fire that was triggered by the plane crash.
‘Plane had a problem’
Colombia's defence minister, Pedro Sánchez, said in a post on X that the plane was transporting troops to another city in Putumayo.
Meanwhile, Carlos Fernando Silva, the commander of Colombia's air force, said details of the crash were not yet clear, "except that the plane had a problem and went down about two kilometres from the airport".
The plane likely suffered an impact near the end of the runway as it was taking off, firefighter Eduardo San Juan Callejas told Caracol. He said that a wing of the plane was later clipping a tree as it went down.
The crash triggered a fire on the plane, with the detonation of some sort of explosive devices on board, Callejas added.
Critics of President Gustavo Petro, however, highlighted that military aircraft have been given fewer flying hours due to budget cuts, implying that such a situation leads to less experienced crews.
A Colombian aviation expert and military analyst, Erich Saumeth, reportedly stated that the Hercules C-130 that crashed on Monday had been donated to Colombia by the US in 2020.
Three years later, it underwent a thorough revision, in which the plane's engines were inspected, and key components were replaced, The Associated Press reported.
“I don't think this plane crashed because of a lack of good parts,” Saumeth was quoted as saying by AP. He further stated that a probe will have to determine why the Hercules' engines, which have four propellers, failed so quickly after takeoff.
Additionally, defence minister Sánchez said that so far there was no indication that the plane was attacked by rebel groups that operate near Puerto Leguizamo.
He said the plane crash was "profoundly painful for the country," adding that, "We hope that our prayers can help to relieve some of the pain."
What happened after the crash?
Local residents rushed to the site soon after realising that a plane had crashed in a field. They pulled out bodies and injured persons from the fire-engulfed plane.
Deputy Mayor Carlos Claros said the bodies of the victims were taken to the small town's morgue, adding that the only two clinics in the town attended to the injured before they were transported to larger cities.
“I want to thank the people of Puerto Leguizamo who came out to help the victims of this accident,” Claros told Colombian TV station RCN.
Air Force commander Silva also said that two planes, with 74 beds, were sent to the area to fly the wounded persons to hospitals in the capital city, Bogota, and elsewhere.
Armed forces' chief Barreto said that 57 of the survivors had been hospitalised, with 30 of them in non-serious condition at a military clinic.
What we know about Hercules C-130 plane
After the crash, a spokesperson for Lockheed Martin reportedly said that the company was committed to assisting Colombia as it investigates the accident.
Hercules C-130 planes were launched in the 1950s, and Colombia acquired its first models in the late 1960s, Reuters reported.
The plane was modernised recently, as newer models were sent from the US under a provision that allows the transfer of used or surplus military equipment.
Hercules C-130s are often used in Colombia to carry troops as part of the military's operations amid a six-decade-long internal conflict that has reportedly claimed over 4,50,000 lives.
The tail number of the plane that crashed on Monday matches that of the first three planes delivered to Colombia by the US in recent years, Reuters reported.
(with inputs from agencies)
