LAC Colombia
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Founded | February 28, 1974 | ||||||
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Ceased operations | June 28, 1996 | ||||||
Fleet size | 15 | ||||||
Headquarters | CEO ) |
LAC (Líneas Aéreas del Caribe) was a Colombian airline that was founded in Barranquilla in 1974.[1]
History
By an initiative of Captain Luís Carlos Donado Velilla, who wanted to withdraw from
In 1972 and despite, being
"If the cargo does not speak and presents so many problems, how will one be passengers?" - Captain Donado Velilla said once wisely.
The company was born with two Curtiss C-46s which were painted purple and the Barranquilleros nicknamed them "The Bishops." These planes covered national routes between the Atlantic Coast, the Eastern Plains and the
Routes
LAC signed an important contract with El Tiempo and El Espectador to transport the press every night from Bogotá to Barranquilla, Cali and Medellín. In August 1977, LAC sold the Curtiss and renewed its fleet by acquiring four DC-6s in auction in Tucson (Arizona) of which two were operated (HK-1702 and HK-1703) and the rest were scrapped for spare parts. With these two new Douglas DC-6B, the newly approved route to Miami began operating in October with three new weekly frequencies, weekly flights to Panama are increased to three, and the new route to Caracas is opened. In March 1978 the fifth DC-6B arrives and the company restructures its flying routes:
- Three weekly frequencies on the Bogota-Barranquilla-Miami route
- Three weekly frequencies to Caracas
- Four weekly frequencies to Panama
- Three weekly frequencies to Curaçao
- A weekly flight to Pointe-a-Pitre
- Six weekly flights Bogota-Cartagena-Barranquilla-Bogota
- Six weekly flights Bogota-Medellin-Bogota[2]
Fleet
LAC Colombia consisted of the following fleet:[3][4]
Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boeing 707-320C
|
1 | 1986 | 1988 | Leased from Southern Air Transport |
Curtiss C-46 Commando | 1 | 1975 | 1976 | |
Douglas C-47 Skytrain | 1 | Unknown | Unknown | Leased from an unknown airline and was the only C-47 in their fleet |
Douglas DC-6B
|
6 | 1975 | 1988 | Operated in Santa Marta, Bogota, Subachoque, and Sierra Cucuy |
Douglas DC-8-33F | 1 | 1985 | 1992 | |
Douglas DC-8-52F | 1 | 1994 | 1995 | |
Douglas DC-8-54F | 2 | 1980 | 1996 | |
Douglas DC-8-55F | 2 | 1992 | 1996 | Both were written off |
Accidents and incidents
- On February 4, 1976, a Douglas DC-6B (registered HK-1389) crashed into the sea following engine trouble while flying from Santa Marta, Colombia to Curaçao. All three crew members on board were killed.[5]
- On April 29, 1978, a Douglas DC-6B (registered HK-1705) crashed shortly after takeoff from El Dorado International Airport. All three crew members and five of the nine passengers were killed. The aircraft reportedly failed to gain sufficient height on takeoff from runway 30, as it struck a tree and broke up.[6]
- On October 15, 1992, a Douglas DC-8-55F (registered HK-3753X) lost its directional control on landing at Olaya Herrera Airport. It veered off the left side of the runway and subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed. All three crew members on board survived.[7]
- On February 4, 1996, Flight 028, a Douglas DC-8-55CF (registered HK-3979), flying to São Paulo, Brazil lost lift, speed, and fell on a neighborhood in Asunción, Paraguay due to the negligence and recklessness of its crew, causing the death of the four crew members on board, as well as 18 people on the ground.[8] This accident practically caused the airline's liquidation a few months later. It became the worst air tragedy in Paraguay.[page needed]
See also
References
- ^ "LAC (Lineas Aereas del Caribe)". airlinehistory.co.uk/.
- ^ Christian Volpati. "Líneas Aéreas del Caribe - LAC". aviacol.net.
- ^ "LAC Colombia - Lineas Aereas Del Caribe Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "LAC Colombia fleet". aerobernie.bplaced.net. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved December 2, 2018.