They reveal what happened to the military plane that crashed in Colombia: the key fact from the report that defused the controversy

Exactly one month ago, Hercules C-130 registration 1016 of the Colombian Air Force It crashed seconds after taking off in Puerto Leguizamo, in the southern department of Putumayo in the Colombian Amazon.

According to the research of Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC), “four seconds after takeoff, the plane hit three trees that were on the runway exit path.”

As explained by the director of Operational Safety, Luis Giraldo“the plant material affected the engines with a significant loss of power and affected the control of the aircraft, which after 36 seconds impacted the ground, generating the subsequent fire.”

In the press conference he gave, the official It removed weight from the possibility that the determining cause of the episode had been human failure.. However, he clarified that this hypothesis is part of the investigation.

🎥Press Conference
Presentation of the preliminary report on the investigation of the C-130 Hércules accident in Puerto Leguízamo, Putumayo, on March 23, 2026.

➡️ https://t.co/TxNnEzFBbk#AdAstra🚀 pic.twitter.com/hqrjRyHWtz

— Colombian Aerospace Force (@FuerzaAereaCol) April 23, 2026

Meanwhile, Giraldo stressed that the tests carried out determined that “Prior to the flight, the aircraft was perfectly“, and that it had the current airworthiness certificate. In addition, he assured that It was properly maintained and it had no restrictions on use since the weight it carried and the weather conditions were appropriate.

On the other hand, the FAC reported that, according to the flight instruments analyzed, only “an exclamation of surprise”. They also indicated that, in these circumstances, “the pilot and crew focused on trying to maintain control of the aircraft.”

In this context, the report presented did not focus on the state of Herculesbut recommended the removal of trees in the area because they represent “a risk” to other aircraft.

The accident, in which 61 members of the army lost their lives, six from the Colombian Aerospace Force and two from the national policeand there were 57 injured, is considered one of the most serious in the country and opened the debate about the state of its air fleet.

After the air accident, there was great controversy over the use of “junk planes” as the Colombians themselves defined them. A plane that was acquired from the United States during 2020.

The Hercules abruptly crashed to the ground exactly a month ago, one kilometer from the runway from which it took off on the Amazon runway, near the border with Peru. At the time of the crash, the aircraft was carrying 128 occupants and ammunition.