Cessna R172K accident near Cuchilla La Laja, CO, November 19, 2012
On November 19, 2012 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna R172K, registered HK4890G, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cuchilla La Laja. It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 2012 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cuchilla La Laja, Colombia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- HK4890G · no longer on the register · serial R1722869
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On November 19, 2012, about 1030 hours local, a Cessna R172K, Colombian registration HK4890G, collided with mountainous terrain near Cuchilla La Laja – Municipio de San Francisco, Departmento de Cundinamarca, Colombia. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time for the VFR flight from Girardot/Santiago Vila Airport (SKGI), Girardot, Colombia, to Guaymaral Airport (SKGY), Bogota, Colombia. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the private pilot, the sole occupant was fatally injured. According to statements by the staff of transit air, on the day of the accident at 1107 hours local, attempts to contact the pilot were unsuccessful. The flight did not arrive at its destination and a search was initiated. On November 24, 2012, the airplane was located. A postcrash fire occurred. This investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Colombia. Any further information can be obtained from: Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aeronautica Civil Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado Bogota, Colombia Telephone: 571.425.1000 This report is for informational purposes only, and contains information released by or obtained for the Government of Colombia.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise) defining event
Crew member
- Certificate: private
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SKGI Girardot
- Destination: SKGY Bogota
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on March 1, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foreign Accident Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.