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Aerosucre

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Aerosucre S.A.
IATA ICAO Call sign
A4 KRE AEROSUCRE
Founded1969; 55 years ago (1969)
HubsBogotá
Focus cities
Fleet size7[1]
Destinations22
HeadquartersBogotá, Colombia
FounderJuan Carlos Solano Recio
Employees200-501[2]
Websiteaerosucre.com.co

Aerosucre S.A. is a cargo airline based in Bogotá, Colombia. It began operation in 1969 and operates scheduled international and domestic cargo services throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Its home base is El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá.[3] Aerosucre has been involved in a number of accidents and incidents during its lifetime, and more recently, internet videos have emerged showcasing reckless behavior by its pilots.[4][5]

History

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Aerosucre was founded by Juan Carlos Solano Recio in Barranquilla in 1969, and began flight operations as an air taxi company in the spring of 1970, with a Piper PA-28.

By the spring of 1975, the company was focused primarily on freight transport, although it was still allowed to carry a maximum of five passengers on the flights. Initially, the company flew to the Colombian island of San Andrés and internationally to the islands of Aruba and Curaçao.

In 1981, Aerosucre acquired two Handley Page Heralds from British Air Ferries. Its first jet aircraft, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, was purchased in August 1982, from Spanish company Transeuropa.[citation needed]

On March 5, 1996, 150 kg (330 lb) of cocaine paste was discovered on an Aerosucre airplane in Leticia, Colombia, concealed among 21 t (21 long tons; 23 short tons) of fish.[4]

By 2020, the company participated in the transportation of medical supplies throughout Colombia in support of the medical response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

Destinations

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Aerosucre operates to the following destinations:[7]

Country City Airport Notes
Aruba Oranjestad Queen Beatrix International Airport Focus city
Colombia Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport Focus city
Bogotá El Dorado International Airport Hub
Cali Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport Focus city
Cartagena Rafael Núñez International Airport
Inírida César Gaviria Trujillo Airport
Leticia Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport
Medellín José María Córdova International Airport Focus city
Mitú Fabio Alberto León Bentley Airport
Puerto Carreño Germán Olano Airport
San Andrés Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport Focus city
Yopal El Alcaraván Airport Focus city
Costa Rica San José Juan Santamaría International Airport Focus city
Curaçao Willemstad Curaçao International Airport
Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Las Américas International Airport
Ecuador Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport
El Salvador San Salvador El Salvador International Airport
Guatemala Guatemala City La Aurora International Airport
Panama Panama City Tocumen International Airport
Perú Lima Jorge Chavez International Airport Focus city
Venezuela Caracas Simón Bolívar International Airport
Maracaibo La Chinita International Airport

Fleet

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An Aerosucre Boeing 727-200F
An Aerosucre Boeing 737-200F at El Dorado International Airport in 2009

Current fleet

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As of December 2024, the Aerosucre fleet consists of these aircraft:[8][9][10]

Aerosucre fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Notes
Boeing 727-200F 2 — HK-5216, HK-5239

A third 727 crashed as Aerosucre Flight 157

Boeing 737-200F 1 — HK-5026
Boeing 737-300BDSF 2 — HK-5370, HK-5439
Boeing 737-400SF 2 — HK-5434, HK-5447
Total 7 —

Former fleet

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A Boeing 727-100F of Aerosucre's former fleet landing at Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport in 2002

Aerosucre has operated these aircraft in the past:[11]

Safety

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The safety culture at Aerosucre has been called into question by airline industry analysts following a number of accidents and incidents involving the airline, along with videos that have appeared on the internet that showcase reckless behavior by Aerosucre pilots.[4][5][12] In 1995, the company was cited by the Colombian government for flying at weights above their planes' specified maximum takeoff weights, and in 2005, inspectors found two planes flying while more than 4 metric tons (3.9 long tons; 4.4 short tons) overweight.[4] Excess weight was also cited as a factor in the fatal crash of Aerosucre Flight 157 in 2016.[13] Aerosucre has had a history of transporting passengers despite being unauthorized to do so by the Colombian government. Following a June 20, 1991 crash that killed two, passengers reported that they had been forced to lie down on the floor of the plane, because the aircraft had no seats.[4]

Accidents and incidents

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  • On September 16, 1976, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registered HK-1282)[4] disappeared without a trace on a cargo flight from Barranquilla to Oranjestad.[14] Two crew members were on board.[4]
  • On March 13, 1984, during an apparently illegal flight, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registered HK-1322P) was forced by air traffic control to return to Barranquilla. The plane crashed upon landing, killing four of the six occupants aboard.[4]
  • On November 27, 1986, a Sud Aviation Caravelle (registered HK-2850) aborted takeoff from Arauca, Colombia, due to control problems. The aircraft overran the runway and crashed into a ditch. No deaths resulted, although the plane was written off.[4]
  • On April 26, 1989, a Sud Aviation Caravelle (registered HK-3325X) crashed into an inhabited area shortly after taking off from Barranquilla. All five crew members were killed, along with two people on the ground. The cause was poorly secured cargo, which shifted during takeoff, causing the aircraft to stall.[4][15]
  • On November 5, 1989, a Handley Page Herald 401 (registered HK-2702) en route from Bogotá to Cali crashed into a mountain near the town of Roncesvalles, Tolima, during poor weather. All six occupants were killed.[4]
  • On June 20, 1991, a Douglas DC-6B (registered HK-3511X) crashed on its second attempt at landing at Barranquilla, killing two and injuring 20 of the 25 passengers on board.[4]
  • On September 29, 1991, a Sud Aviation Caravelle (registered HK-3288X) had its landing gear fail during takeoff, causing it to veer off the runway. All crew members and occupants survived.[16]
  • On May 1, 1995, a Boeing 727-200F (registered HK-1717) descended below the glide slope on approach to Taguatinga Airport, Brazil, touching down 6 m (20 ft) before the runway threshold.[17]
  • On June 25, 1997, the same aircraft, HK-1717, crossed the threshold of runway 31 at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, after having aborted takeoff.[18] All occupants were unharmed,[18] but the aircraft was declared a total loss and later scrapped.[citation needed]
  • On August 17, 2006, a Boeing 727-200F (registered HK-3985) suffered a landing-gear failure during taxi at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, resulting in damage to its left wing. The aircraft was declared a total loss and was scrapped.[19]
  • On November 18, 2006, a Boeing 727-200F (registered HK-3667X) on a cargo flight from Bogotá to Leticia crashed on approach to Leticia when it hit a 46 m (150 ft) television antenna. The three crew members and two passengers were killed.[20][21]
  • On February 12, 2011, a Boeing 727-200F carrying cargo from Yopal to Mitú experienced a hydraulic failure while flying over Bogotá. The plane landed safely at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, and no one was injured.[22]
  • On December 20, 2016, Aerosucre Flight 157, a Boeing 727-200F (registered HK-4544)[13] crashed after takeoff from Germán Olano Airport in Puerto Carreño. The aircraft overran the runway, crashed through a fence, crossed a road - where the aircraft nearly struck several civilians - and eventually became airborne, but lost altitude and crashed while attempting to return for an emergency landing. Five crew members died; one crew member survived, but suffered severe injuries.[23][24]
  • On April 26, 2019, a Boeing 737-200F (registered HK-5026) veered off the runway while landing in poor weather at Bogotá. The crew was able to recover and bring the aircraft back on to the runway.[25]
  • On 21 August 2021, a Boeing 737-230F (registered HK-5026) had to make an emergency landing back to Mitú, since the cargo door had opened in flight after taking off from Mitú.[26][27]
  • On 10 November 2024, a Boeing 727-200F (registered HK-5216) en route to Valencia, Venezuela, clipped a localizer array on departure from runway 14L at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia. The aircraft returned to the airport approximately one hour later, landing on runway 14R without further incident.[28][29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Aerosucre Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "AEROSUCRE". co.linkedin.com. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  3. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. March 27, 2007. p. 50.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Hernández Godoy, Andrés (December 21, 2016). "Aerosucre: accidentes, coca y sobrecupos en el historial de la aerolínea" [Aerosucre: accidents, cocaine and overloading throughout the airline's history]. Las2orillas (in Spanish). Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Ferreira, Carlos (May 16, 2021). "Avião da Aerosucre, que esteve no Brasil, sofre novo incidente na Colômbia" [An Aerosucre plane, which had been in Brazil, suffers a new incident in Colombia]. Aeroin (in Portuguese). Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  6. ^ El Diario (April 4, 2020). "Air cargo transport, essential to fight the Coronavirus". Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  7. ^ "Rutas". Aerosucre.com. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  8. ^ "Nuestra flota". Aerosucre.com. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  9. ^ "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2019): 12.
  10. ^ "Aerosucre Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  11. ^ "Aerosucre S.A." Rzjets.net.
  12. ^ Quevedo Hernández, Norbey (December 27, 2016). "La carta premonitoria por Aerosucre" [A Warning Letter for Aerosucre]. El Espectador (in Spanish). Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
  14. ^ "Descripción del Accidente ASN 16 SEP 1976 Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando HK-1282 - Aruba". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
  16. ^ Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
  17. ^ Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
  18. ^ a b Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
  19. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727-224F HK-3985 Bogotá-Eldorado Airport (BOG)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  20. ^ "Aerosucre Colombia Boeing 727-23F plane crash Leticia, Colombia 18th November, 2006". 1001crash.com. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  21. ^ Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
  22. ^ "Incident: Aerosucre B722 near Bogota on Feb 12th 2011, hydraulic failure". The Aviation Herald. February 13, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  23. ^ "Crash: Aerosucre B727 at Puerto Carreno on Dec 20th 2016, overran runway on takeoff". Avherald.com. December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  24. ^ "Vídeo: el momento en el que el avión de Aerosucre se estrella".
  25. ^ Hradecky, Simon (September 6, 2019). "Incident: Aerosucre B737 at Bogota on Apr 26th 2019, temporary runway excursion". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  26. ^ Ranter, Harro. "Incident Boeing 737-230 (F) Adv. HK-5026, 21 Aug 2021". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  27. ^ Aerosucre 737-200F makes emergency landing after cargo door opens mid-flight, retrieved August 30, 2022
  28. ^ "Aerosucre Boeing 727 Freighter Clips ILS Antenna While Departing Bogota". www.gatechecked.com. November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  29. ^ "Incident Boeing 727-227 Adv. (F) HK-5216, Sunday 10 November 2024". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
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Media related to Aerosucre Colombia at Wikimedia Commons

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