Avianca Flight 203

Avianca Flight 203
HK-1803, the aircraft involved in the bombing
Bombing
DateNovember 27, 1989
SummaryBombing
SiteCerro Canoas, Soacha, Colombia
4°33′30″N 74°15′45″W / 4.55833°N 74.26250°W / 4.55833; -74.26250
Total fatalities110
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 727-21
OperatorAvianca
RegistrationHK-1803
Flight originEl Dorado Int'l Airport
DestinationAlfonso Bonilla Aragón Int'l Airport
Occupants107
Passengers101
Crew6
Fatalities107
Survivors0
Ground casualties
Ground fatalities3

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.

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]

The bombing was shown in Season 1 of the television show, Narcos.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ranter, Harro. Ranter, Harro; Lujan, Fabian I.; Jackman, Frank; Millam, Mark; Solorzano, Liz; Martin, Louise; Shahidi, Hassan; Nolan, Conor; Quinn, Kenneth P.; Watret, John R.; Hamilton, John; Lederer, Jerry (eds.). "Aircraft accident Boeing 727-21 HK-1803 Bogotá-Eldorado Airport (BOG)". Aviation Safety Network (ASN). Alexandria, United States: Flight Safety Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  2. ↑ Prendergast, Alan (17 May 2001). Calhoun, Patricia; Le, Jane R.; Wilson, Michael; Eul, Patrick; Arneson, Chris; Kirk, Erin; Seidel, Allie; Koepke, Tyler; Speed, Chris; Padilla, April; Hortik, Anna; Dunahay, Sarah; Kontrelos, Tracy; Tobias, Scott (eds.). "The hit man nobody knows". Westword. Denver, United States: Denver Westword, LLC. (Voice Media Group/VMG National/Voice Media Group, LLC.). Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  3. ↑ González, Jorge (28 November 1989). Elvira, Enrique; Blasco, Isaac; Martínez, Álvaro; Juan, Fernández-Miranda; Rodríguez, Alexis; de Rivas, Eduardo; Sanz, Jorge; Gutiérrez, Isabel; Pérez, María Jesús; Ramírez, Nuria; Basco, Sebastián; Luca de Tena, Catalina; Rubido Ramonde, Bieito (eds.). "Más de cien muertos al estallar en vuelo un avión colombiano". Diario ABC (in Spanish). Vol. 86, no. 27068. Madrid, Spain: Diario ABC, S.L. (Grupo Vocento/Vocento, S.A.). p. 17. ISSN 1136-0232.
  4. ↑ "OBJETIVO: GAVIRIA" [OBJECTIVE: GAVIRIA]. Semana (in Spanish). 8 May 1995. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
  5. ↑ Amaya, David (2016-09-02). "Pablo Escobar's Most Savage Moments on 'Narcos'". Complex.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2020-05-16.