Avianca Flight 011

Avianca Flight 011, registration HK-2910 (formerly LN-RNA), was a Boeing 747-283B on an international scheduled passenger flight from Frankfurt via Paris, Madrid, and Caracas to Bogotá.

Avianca Flight 011 took off from Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) at 22:25 for a flight to Bogotá (BOG) via Madrid (MAD) and Caracas (CCS). The Frankfurt-Paris segment on this day had been cancelled by Avianca. As a result, the passengers who were to board Avianca flight 011 in Frankfurt had been placed on a Lufthansa flight to Paris. Because they had to wait for these passengers to land, Avianca flight 011 was delayed departing Paris.

The Boeing 747 climbed to a cruising altitude of FL370. At 23:31 the crew contacted Madrid ACC, receiving clearance to continue to the Madrid VOR via Pamplona, Barahona, and Castejón. Fifteen minutes later the flight was cleared to descend to FL190. At 23:52 they were cleared down to FL90: "Avianca 011 está pasando Barahona, proceda ya directo a Charlie Papa Lima, y continúe descenso para el nivel nueve cero, cambio." ("Avianca 011 is passing Barahona, proceed directly to Charlie Papa Lima and continue descent to level nine zero, over.")

After contacting Madrid Approach at 23:56 they were cleared for a runway 33 approach. After reaching FL090 at 00:00 they were cleared further down. Madrid Tower at 00:03 then cleared the flight to land. Instead of turning right at the Madrid VOR, the crew initiated a turn short of the VOR beacon. The aircraft descended below the minimum descent altitude for that area.

The right main gear and no. 4 engine hit a hill at an altitude of 2247 feet and a speed of 142 knots. Three seconds later the aircraft impacted a second hill at a speed of 135 knots and a 4.9 degree nose-up attitude. Six seconds after contacting the 2nd hill, the aircraft (at 126 kts) hit the ground with the right wing, which broke off. The Boeing cartwheeled, broke in five pieces and came to rest upside down. Only 11 of the 169 passengers survived, and there were no survivors among the 23 crew.

Notable people killed

• Jorge Ibargüengoitia
• Ángel Rama
• Manuel Scorza

External links

• Report from the Ministry of Infrastructures, Spain - Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (Spanish).
• Transcript of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR)
• Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network

See also

• List of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners