A military transport plane carrying 126 individuals in Colombia crashed on Monday while taking off near Puerto Leguizamo, resulting in no fewer than 69 fatalities and numerous injuries, marking it as among the nation’s most devastating aviation disasters in recent years.
The Hercules C-130 manufactured by Lockheed Martin crashed on March 23 moments after leaving the small town in the Amazon region near Peru’s border. Emergency responders extracted 57 service members alive from the debris and transported them to safety. A single soldier departed the area unharmed.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported the plane hit the earth approximately 1.5 kilometers from where it took off, triggering explosions of ammunition aboard and igniting the aircraft. A fire department source informed local media the aircraft seemed to strike near the runway’s conclusion while departing, with a wing colliding with a tree during descent.
Dense black smoke billowed from where the plane went down as nearby civilians rushed to provide aid. Online video showed individuals racing on motorcycles along unpaved routes with injured service members secured to their backs, attempting to reach the town’s pair of clinics before military transport could arrive. Air Force commander Carlos Fernando Silva later sent two aircraft carrying 74 beds to move the wounded to medical facilities in Bogotá and additional cities.
Recovery efforts faced major challenges due to the challenging landscape, Deputy Mayor Carlos Claros informed the press. “I want to thank the people of Puerto Leguizamo who came out to help the victims,” Claros told RCN television. The remains of those killed were brought to the town’s modest morgue while wounded individuals were airlifted to bigger hospitals for treatment.
Sánchez characterized the incident as a “tragic accident,” noting that investigators have discovered no indication that the plane was targeted by insurgent forces in the area. He stated the aircraft had been certified as flight-ready and the flight crew was “duly qualified.”
President Gustavo Petro exploited the disaster to unleash a pointed criticism of his predecessor, accusing former President Iván Duque of accepting what he termed a “junk” plane from the United States. “Extremely expensive gifts. The maintenance costs more than a new plane, and how much are the lives lost worth?” Petro wrote on X, adding that he had requested the replacement of the Hercules aircraft a year ago. Duque fired back, calling Petro “vile and unintelligent” and urging a rigorous investigation into factors such as aircraft weight and runway conditions. Carlos Silva also publicly pushed back, presenting flight hour data at a televised cabinet meeting showing the aircraft had flown 345 hours between 2021 and 2024 and 537 hours in 2025 — broadly in line with standard annual usage. Opposition figures pointed out that decreased flying hours during the Petro administration, linked to budget reductions, can lead to less seasoned flight crews.
The accident happened as Petro approached his term’s conclusion. He is barred from seeking reelection, and Colombia’s presidential election is scheduled for May 31. Several candidates offered sympathies and called for a comprehensive investigation.
The aircraft was a C-130H Hercules, an earlier model that first entered service in March 1965, according to Lockheed Martin. Documentation indicates the plane was transferred to the Colombian Air Force by the U.S. Air Force in September 2020. Aviation expert Erich Saumeth informed journalists the aircraft received an overhaul in 2023, when its engines and critical components were examined or replaced.
The Hercules C-130 line has been vital to Colombia’s military airlift operations since the late 1960s. The aircraft first flew in August 1954 and continues to be extensively utilized for troop movement during Colombia’s protracted internal conflict, which has resulted in over 450,000 fatalities. Colombia has modernized certain older C-130s with more recent U.S.-transferred versions through programs permitting surplus military equipment transfers. The tail number of the downed aircraft matches the first of three aircraft recently delivered by the U.S.
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson stated the company was committed to helping with Colombia’s investigation.
This event represents the second major recent C-130 accident in South America. On February 27, a Bolivian Air Force C-130 ran off the runway in bad weather while landing at El Alto, hit a busy highway, and caused more than 20 deaths. That aircraft was carrying newly printed banknotes, which scattered and drew chaotic crowds dispersed by police with tear gas.
Puerto Leguizamo, located in Putumayo province, sits in an isolated yet strategically important region of Colombia adjacent to Ecuador and Peru. The mission was transporting service members to Puerto Asis, likewise in Putumayo, close to the Ecuador border. The area’s remoteness created particularly challenging rescue conditions, with residents serving as initial responders before official emergency personnel could arrive.
What caused the crash is still being investigated, and authorities emphasize there is no evidence of sabotage or an assault by illegal armed organizations. Investigators are presently examining three possibilities: mechanical failure, pilot error, or excess weight. Military investigators and aviation experts will analyze the wreckage, flight data, and eyewitness accounts in the upcoming weeks to establish the reason for the unsuccessful takeoff.
