In windy conditions, it may be a challenge to land a plane. This was the situation in Villavicencio, Colombia. A police plane with 14 people aboard including ten officers and four crew members was slated to land at the Vanguardia Airport.
A gust of wind would soon deny the plane’s attempt to land. Soon after, one of the wings hit a tree and caused it to crash. The pilot was aware of the danger and was able to safely control the plane, which ultimately led to saving the lives of everyone on board.
All on board were assessed for injuries at a local healthcare facility and were soon released. Onlookers believed that the pilot may have ditched the plane in an effort to not only avoid missing the runway, but also preventing it from crashing into nearby homes, which could have led to a catastrophic loss of life.
The pilot is to be commended for taking control of a situation that could have been worse. One of the onlookers was able to capture the incident on video. As of right now, the local authorities are investigating what specifically led to the crash.
As far as we know, the pilot was not engaging in risky behavior. Nor was he in poor shape to fly the plane. Nature seems to have set the stage for what could have been a difficult landing.
The plane originated from Florencia and had made its way to Villavicecio to pick up more passengers. However, nature made it so that those plans would change.
The aircraft sustained damage to its wings, nose, and undercarriage. The plane was a Douglas DC-3 that was refurbished. These plans were first created in the 1930s and production had ended in 1942.
It was unclear how old the plane was. But these planes were designed for military and cargo use. In remote areas, the Douglas DC-3 was used to transport passengers to larger airports. The plane may have sustained plenty of damage, but 14 people are lucky to be alive.
Police in Colombia may be using planes for investigations or simply doing surveillance. Whatever the purpose is, they may do their best to take extra care of them in the future. Especially with some of them that may be well over 60 years old.
