Avianca Flight 203
Encyclopedia
Avianca Airlines
Flight 203 was a Colombia
n domestic passenger flight from El Dorado International Airport
in Bogotá
to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport
in Cali
. It was destroyed by a bomb
over the municipality of Soacha
on November 27, 1989.
The aircraft took off from the Colombian capital Bogotá
en route to Cali
. It was in the air five minutes and flying at a speed of 794 kilometres per hour (493.4 mph) when an explosive charge detonated on board, igniting fuel vapors in an empty fuel tank.
with registration number HK-1803, it was purchased from Pan Am
. The plane took off as scheduled at 7:11 a.m. After 5 minutes into the flight a bomb placed near the fuel tank exploded at 13,000 feet. The blast ripped the airliner apart: the nose section separated from the tail section, which went down in flames. All 107 people on board were killed, as well as three people on the ground who were killed by falling debris. According to the investigations the bomb was placed by a man wearing a suit who was able to bring the bomb inside the plane in a suitcase.
of the Medellín drug cartel
planned the bombing, hoping it would kill presidential candidate for the 1990 elections
César Gaviria Trujillo. Gaviria, however, was not on the plane, and would go on to become President of Colombia. Two Americans were among the dead, and because of this, the Bush Administration was compelled to begin Intelligence Support Activity
operations to find Escobar.
Dandeny Muñoz Mosquera, the chief assassin for the Medellín Cartel, was convicted in a United States
District Court
for the bombing and was sentenced to 10 consecutive life sentences.
Avianca
Avianca S.A. is the flag carrier airline of Colombia since December 5, 1919 when it was initially registered under the name SCADTA. It is headquartered in Bogotá, D.C. with its hub at the El Dorado International Airport...
Flight 203 was a Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n domestic passenger flight from El Dorado International Airport
El Dorado International Airport
El Dorado International Airport is an international airport located in Bogotá, Colombia. It is the largest Latin America airport in terms of cargo movements with 593,946 tons and the third in terms of passenger traffic, only behind São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport and Mexico City's...
in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport
Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport
-Cargo airlines:-Accidents and incidents :*On 3 May, Douglas C-47B FAC-1126 of SATENA was damaged beyond repair in an accident at Palmaseca Airport.*On 21 January 1974, a Vickers Viscount of Aeropesca Colombia was hijacked and diverted to Cali....
in Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
. It was destroyed by a bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
over the municipality of Soacha
Soacha
Soacha is the city of Colombia on the southern edge of Bogotá, the country's capital. It has an important industrial zone and is home to mostly working class families.-Demographics:...
on November 27, 1989.
The aircraft took off from the Colombian capital Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
en route to Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
. It was in the air five minutes and flying at a speed of 794 kilometres per hour (493.4 mph) when an explosive charge detonated on board, igniting fuel vapors in an empty fuel tank.
Flight
The aircraft was a Boeing 727-21Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
with registration number HK-1803, it was purchased from Pan Am
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
. The plane took off as scheduled at 7:11 a.m. After 5 minutes into the flight a bomb placed near the fuel tank exploded at 13,000 feet. The blast ripped the airliner apart: the nose section separated from the tail section, which went down in flames. All 107 people on board were killed, as well as three people on the ground who were killed by falling debris. According to the investigations the bomb was placed by a man wearing a suit who was able to bring the bomb inside the plane in a suitcase.
Aftermath
The bombing of Flight 203 was the deadliest single criminal attack in the many decades of Colombian violence. Pablo EscobarPablo Escobar
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian drug lord. He was an elusive cocaine trafficker and rich and successful criminal. He owned numerous luxury residences, automobiles, and even airplanes...
of the Medellín drug cartel
Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
planned the bombing, hoping it would kill presidential candidate for the 1990 elections
Colombian presidential election, 1990
In May 1990, presidential elections were held in Colombia. The elections were characterized by the extreme violence by the drug traffic mafia, headed by Pablo Escobar...
César Gaviria Trujillo. Gaviria, however, was not on the plane, and would go on to become President of Colombia. Two Americans were among the dead, and because of this, the Bush Administration was compelled to begin Intelligence Support Activity
Intelligence Support Activity
The United States Army Intelligence Support Activity , frequently shortened to Intelligence Support Activity or ISA, and nicknamed The Activity is a United States Army Special Operations unit originally subordinated to the US Army Intelligence and Security Command...
operations to find Escobar.
Dandeny Muñoz Mosquera, the chief assassin for the Medellín Cartel, was convicted in a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
District Court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
for the bombing and was sentenced to 10 consecutive life sentences.