The plane crash that occurred this Monday in the Amazon region of Putumayo is on track to become the worst tragedy in the history of the Colombian Air Force (FAC).
With a provisional toll of 66 dead and 58 injured —there are also four people officially missing—, the disaster marks a turning point for the country’s military aviation and could surpass what for decades was considered the most serious catastrophe: the Santa Ana tragedy of 1938.
The scale of the disaster has caused national shock and has reopened the debate over the condition of the military fleet, safety protocols, and political decisions in defense matters. As rescue operations continue in a hard-to-reach area, authorities are trying to determine the causes of an accident that is already being considered historic.
Yesterday’s plane crash could be the deadliest in Colombian Air Force history
The incident occurred shortly after the takeoff of a Hercules C-130 aircraft from Puerto Leguizamo, in the department of Putumayo, southern Colombia. The aircraft, which was carrying 128 people —mostly military personnel—, crashed in a jungle area and caught fire upon impact, complicating rescue efforts.
The preliminary toll confirms at least 66 fatalities, 58 injured, and four missing, figures that could change as operations progress on the ground. Survivors were transferred to medical centers in Florencia, in the neighboring department of Caqueta, and Bogota, some in critical condition, while military and civilian teams work against the clock under adverse logistical conditions.
Initial hypotheses point to a technical failure during the ascent phase, although authorities have called for caution and are keeping the investigation open. The fact that the aircraft was carrying ammunition has been cited as a factor that worsened the explosion after impact.
With these figures, the accident threatens to surpass any previous record for the FAC. Until now, the deadliest episode dates back to 1938, when the Santa Ana tragedy left dozens of victims and marked the beginning of the dark history of military aviation in the country, as it is considered the first major air accident in Colombian military history.
Yesterday’s Putumayo crash could break that record nearly nine decades later and position itself as the deadliest in the institution’s history. The scale of the disaster is measured not only by the number of victims, but also by its symbolic impact on Armed Forces facing growing scrutiny over their operational capacity after several accidents in recent years.
The Santa Ana tragedy of 1938
That tragedy, which occurred on July 24, 1938, took place during a military ceremony at the Campo de Marte in Santa Ana —now Canton Norte, in Bogota—, and is still considered the largest air disaster in the history of the FAC in Colombia.
According to official information from the Armed Forces, more than 500 people attended the event that year, which was attended by the outgoing president, Alfonso Lopez Pumarejo, and the president-elect, Eduardo Santos. The ceremony, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Bogota and the Battle of Vargas Swamp of 1819 (Batalla del Pantano de Vargas, in Spanish), included an aerial display of five Hawk II F11C aircraft.
The maneuver, called the “mouse race” and led by Lieutenant Cesar Abadia, consisted of formation aerobatics. After a first pass without incident, the pilot executed a risky maneuver at just 30 meters of altitude, lost control, and crashed into a stand full of spectators. The propeller struck attendees, officially causing 75 deaths and more than 100 injuries, many of them children.
Among the injured was Misael Pastrana Borrero, then 15 years old, who years later —in 1970— would become president and was left with facial injuries. Also affected were General Julio Berrio Paris and relatives of another future president, Julio Cesar Turbay Ayala, two of whose sisters died. The tragedy shocked the country, although Lopez Pumarejo and Santos were unharmed.
The investigation attributed the accident to the pilot’s recklessness and low altitude. Abadia survived but was detained and prosecuted after a history of risky behavior came to light.
National mourning, rescue operations, and investigation
Rescue efforts for yesterday’s crash in the Amazon are particularly complex due to the aircraft’s location in a hard-to-access jungle area. Teams from the Armed Forces, along with rescuers and local communities, have been working to evacuate the injured and recover bodies.
At the same time, an investigative team has been activated to determine the exact causes of the crash. Authorities are seeking to establish whether there were mechanical failures, human errors, or a combination of factors that triggered the tragedy.
The process will be key not only to clarifying what happened, but also to preventing an event of this magnitude from happening again. In a country where military operations depend heavily on air transport, the conclusions will have far-reaching implications.
Colombia now faces one of the most painful moments for its Armed Forces in decades. Images of the crash and testimonies from survivors reflect the human dimension of a tragedy that goes beyond the numbers.
The country enters a period of mourning as the victims’ families await answers. The history of the Colombian Air Force is marked by this episode, which not only surpasses the 1938 tragedy in number of deaths, but also redefines the limits of what was considered an unprecedented disaster, as political tensions escalate.
#EnDesarrollo | La Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana continúa desplegando sus capacidades para atender la emergencia ocasionada por el accidente aéreo.
-Aeronave King 350 aterrizó en CATAM con tres heridos, quienes fueron trasladados al Hospital Militar.
-Avión C-130 Hércules… pic.twitter.com/gehkSKGJYg
— Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana (@FuerzaAereaCol) March 23, 2026