Boeing 727 Collides with ILS Antenna at Bogotá’s El Dorado Airport: What We Know

A Boeing 727-200 registered as HK-5216 from Aerosucre was involved in a serious incident yesterday afternoon at El Dorado Airport in Bogotá.

According to reports from the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority, the aircraft took off at 4:21 PM on Sunday, November 10, operating a flight to Valencia (Venezuela) when it collided with one of the antennas of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) localizer for runway 14L.

Following emergency procedures, the Boeing 727 circled the area to burn off fuel and landed at 5:42 PM, showing various damages to the landing gear and left wing. A FlightRadar24 capture shows the path taken by HK-5216.

Aerocivil added last night that a technical team was assessing the extent of the damage caused to the ILS and its potential impact on El Dorado Airport’s operations. Images circulating on social media show some of the damages sustained by the Boeing 727-200 HK-5216.

«The Technical Accident Investigation Division is investigating the factors associated with this serious incident, including the airline’s planning, with the aim of identifying causes and formulating recommendations to help prevent future incidents,» concluded the statement from Aerocivil.

This Aerocivil photo shows the damage to the ILS:

Yesterday’s incident in Bogotá is reminiscent of another that occurred in December 2016, also involving a Boeing 727 from Aerosucre, which led to an accident. On the 20th of that month, the aircraft registered as HK-4544 took off from Puerto Carreño Airport, traveling nearly 100 meters past the runway threshold, unable to complete rotation within its length, crossing a road and striking a shed and a tree. This caused damage to the main right landing gear and inner right rear flap. Minutes later, the Boeing 727 impacted the ground, bursting into flames and causing the deaths of five crew members.