Avianca Colombia Flight 106

## Avianca Flight 106

An Avianca Boeing 727 similar to the aircraft involved in the accident.

Avianca Colombia Flight 106 was a domestic scheduled flight operated by Avianca from Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Quito, Ecuador to El Dorado International Airport, Bogota, Colombia. On May 16th, 1975, The Boeing 727-21 had a navigation error causing the plane to stay at 3700 feet above ground level which proved to be fatal cause of Ecuador's capital being built in a mountainous area. After flying low in foggy weather at night the plane crashed into a hill near Lloa leaving only 1 sole survivor. ***José ''Josen'' Vallágintós*** This was the deadliest plane crash in Ecuador's aviation history and was Avianca's first Boeing 727 hull loss and deadliest crash until Avianca Flight 011 which crashed 8 years later in Spain claiming the lives of 181 people.

## Aircraft

The accident aircraft, registered as HK-727, was a Boeing 727-21 delivered new to Avianca in March of 1966. The aircraft's first flight was in May 1966. The aircraft was powered by 3 Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofans below a T-tail.

## Flight Crew

### Captain

The captain of the flight was 56-year old Martinéz Gonzalez Lopéz from Colombia who joined Avianca in 1959. Before Martinéz perished, his previous job was a musician in his hometown of Cartagena. He died on impact with the hill. He had ranked up a total of 10,121 flight hours, 8,201 of which on the Boeing 727. He was an experienced captain for Avianca who also trained Carlos on 727 back in the late 60s. When they flew with each other during the previous flight from Bogotá, both were stunned.

### First Officer

The first officer of Flight 106 was 39-year old Carlos Joreão Thígos from Brazil who joined Avianca in 1967. He had also died on impact with the hill. By the time of the crash he had a total of 7,912 flight hours, 7,021 of which on the Boeing 727. He was also experienced like his captain.

### Flight Engineer

The flight engineer was 28-year old José Lopézo from Ecuador who joined Avianca in 1973. He died from his injuries 2 minutes after surviving the impact. By the time of the crash he had ranked up a total of 144 flight hours, all on the 727.

There were 108 Colombians, 7 Ecuadorians, 6 Brazilians, 4 Peruvians, 4 Venezuelans, 1 Chilean refugee and 1 American onboard Avianca Colombia Flight 106

## Departure from Quito

### CVR recording

First Officer Carlos: **Ehmm..- AVIANCA 1-0-6 Hol -cuts- ng point Runway 1-7**

Old Mariscal ATC: **AVIANCA 1-0-6, say again?**

First Officer Carlos: **AVIANCA 1-0-6 Hol-ding point Runway 1-7**

Old Mariscal ATC: **AVIANCA 1-0-6, Roger, line up Runway 1-7 and wait**

First Officer Carlos: **AVIANCA 1-0-6, Roger, line up Runway 1-7**

Captain Martinéz: Lining up..

Flight Engineer José: Checklist?

Captain Martinéz: Yes.. *grabs checklist*

Captain Martinéz: Flight Controls

First Officer Carlos: Check

Captain Martinéz: Flight Instruments

Flight Engineer José: Check

Captain Martinéz: Flaps?

First Officer Carlos: Configured

Captain Martinéz: Alright we are set.

Old Mariscal ATC: **OK, Uhh, AVIANCA 1-0-6 Cleared for takeoff, Runway 1-7**

Captain Martinéz: **AVIANCA 1-0-6 Roger, Cleared for takeoff, Runway 1-7**

Captain Martinéz: Release brakes.

First Officer Carlos: OK

Captain Martinéz: Finalmente fuera del Ecuador (Finally out of Ecuador)

First Officer Carlos: No te gusta quedarte aquí? (Don't you like this place?)

Captain Martinéz: Sí. (I do)

First Officer Carlos: 80 knots, 100 knots, OK.. V1, Rotaté.

Captain Martinéz: Gear up.

## The minutes before crashing

### CVR recording

Captain Martinéz: Altitude setting 4000 feet.

Flight Engineer José: There.

GPWS: **--WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP--**

Captain Martinéz: ¿Qué carajo e\*\*\* pasando? (What the f\*\*\* is happening?)

GPWS: **--WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP--**

First Officer Carlos: Nariz arriba!! (Nose up!!)

Captain Martinéz: ¿Qué carajo e\*\*\*?? (What the f\*\*\*??)

GPWS: **--WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP--**

#### A minute from impact

First Officer Carlos: Nariz arriba!! (Nose up!!)

Flight Engineer José: TIRA DEL YUGO CAPITÁN!! (PULL THE YOKE CAPTAIN!!)

GPWS: **--WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP--**

GPWS: **--WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP--**

First Officer Carlos: **\*\*inaudible screaming\*\***

Flight Engineer José: TIRA DEL YUGO!! TIRA DEL YUGO CAPITÁN!! (PULL THE YOKE!! PULL THE YOKE CAPTAIN!!)

GPWS: **--WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP--**

GPWS: **--WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP--**

Flight Engineer José: **\*\*scream\*\***

Captain Martinéz: ADIÓS MUNDO ¡FUE UN AGRADABLE VERTE! (GOODBYE WORLD! IT WAS NICE TO SEE YOU!)

**\*\*first impact\*\***

Captain Martinéz: **\*\*inaudible screaming\*\***

Captain Martinéz: ¡NOOOOO!

**\*\*second impact\***

Flight Engineer José: ¡NOOO-

**\*\*last impact\***

--End of Recording--

## The crash

At 23:32, Avianca Colombia Flight 106 has crashed into a hill after taking off at Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport. There were initially 12 survivors including José Lopézo that eventually died from their injuries on the hill. José ''Josen'' Vallágintós, a Brazilian 9-year old boy was the only survivor of the plane crash. His parents also survived but passed away from their injuries on the mountain due to low oxygen. The other 11 survivors perished.

    At 4:20, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Ecuador's Dirección General de Aviación Civil de Ecuador visited the crash site and investigated it later. 3 from the NTSB and over 20 from Dirección General de Aviación Civil de Ecuador. At first, they thought no one survived until Armore Regendville (NTSB) spotted a young boy mangled in a tree branch who was still holding on to dear life. He was sent to the hospital immediately after he was found. After the hero (Armore) found him, he and the others thought there were other survivors but unfortunately there was none others to be found. All 130 others died including Martinéz (a former musician)

When investigating the crash, they found the altimeter and saw that it wasn't pitching up but was banking to the right by 15 degrees. They thought that the plane took the wrong path but the half-burnt checklist and chart showed that they were instructed to turn right and then head to Bogotá. To the investigators, Avianca explained to the NTSB and Dirección General de Aviación Civil de Ecuador that the printer used for checklists and charts printed the wrong route to the pilots of Avianca 106 and Avianca wasn't expecting it to go wrong. Turns out, it did. After scattering the wreckage, they finally find the CVR. (Cockpit Voice Recorder) It has survived the brutal impact but the FDR (Flight Data Recorder) burned so it was unuseable or unfixable. The investigators also find the aileron on the top of the tree José (the only survivor) was mangled on. One factor is that when they listened to the CVR, they heard that Martinéz was fatigued and wanted to go home to Colombia to rest, judging by the ''Finalmente fuera del Ecuador'' said by Martinéz.