The impact of a serious air safety incident at Bogotá’s El Dorado airport shocked Colombia’s commercial aviation on the night of February 20, when a Latam Airlines plane with 157 passengers and six crew members aborted takeoff due to the sudden arrival of a Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC) helicopter, which crossed its authorized path.
The original transcription of the dialogues in the cabin, published by the newspaper The Timereveals in detail the tension experienced by the pilots and their immediate reaction to avoid a tragedy.
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A Latam Airlines commercial flight was about to take off from Bogotá’s El Dorado airport when its crew detected a FAC military helicopter crossing the runway right before them. The pilots aborted the maneuver and activated emergency protocols, while air traffic controllers coordinated in real time, an action that avoided fatal consequences for the 163 people on board.
In the conversation obtained and published by The Timethe usual calm was interrupted by the commander’s warnings: “We are keeping an eye on that helicopter, ready?”, to which the co-pilot responded: “Yes.”
In seconds, the pilots went from control to shock. “Stop…” the commander shouted, while the co-pilot ensured the activation of the braking systems: “Reverse green, decel“. The immediate order was: “Parking brake activated.” Immediately afterwards, the pilot alerted: “Attention crew, attention crew.”
The tension became evident after stopping the plane at high speed. “Wow!” exclaimed the pilot, reflecting his astonishment. The co-pilot announced the use of the brake fans: “Brake fan ON”, due to the overheating of the wheel system.
The precise and coordinated action of the crew made it possible to control the situation on the runway. Once arrested, the commander asked: “Is everything normal? Everything in control? The brakes? good!” The co-pilot responded: “Everything is very good, with parking brake, brake fans activated, we are fine on this side.”
According to the official reconstruction and the recordings cited by the aforementioned medium, at 10:04 pm, The Latam Airlines plane received authorization to tow and launch, heading towards runway 14 right. In parallel, the FAC4021 helicopter covered an intelligence mission from the Catam Air Base, after validating its flight plan.
For the next thirty minutes, air traffic controllers coordinated the movements of both aircraft. At 10:35, the plane was waiting in position and the helicopter reported transfers over surrounding areas. At 10:36:15 p.m., the commercial crew applied full power to initiate takeoff.
The controller then authorizes the helicopter to cross runway 14 right. Seven seconds later, the Latam cabin again received notification of the helicopter’s proximity, just before the critical moment. Official data indicates that the plane was taxiing at 93 knots and was at 8,400 feet altitude when the emergency braking sequence began..
At that moment, the LATAM pilots applied the brakes to their maximum and declared the takeoff abort to the control tower: “Tower, LAN Colombia 4278, abort takeoff, runway 14 right.”
The maneuver required full use of the parking brake and the switching on of the fans, since the temperature of the wheels exceeded 925 °C.
Ground personnel confirmed that the four wheels of the main gear were deflated, with no traces of smoke or fire. The passengers disembarked using a portable ladder, under supervision and without injuries, while the Fire Fighting Service checked the area.
The recording in the cabin, collected by The Timereflects the relief and surprise of the pilots minutes after the event. “Wow!” exclaimed the commander. The co-pilot spontaneously said: “No *rudeness* “I saw it and said, this is not safe at all.”.
The pilots exchanged comments about the maneuver and their surprise at the helicopter crossing. “First takeoff aborted?”the commander asked, referring to the experience of his co-pilot, who responded: “Yes, all the call outs.”
In their technical dialogue, they reviewed the completed procedures one by one. “I saw that helicopter and said *rudeness* “It can’t be that they are authorizing us and this man is out there,” said the pilot. The co-pilot concluded: “They got into it, they got into it.”.
Although the stress was evident, the crew highlighted that the actions carried out fully coincided with their training and safety protocols, which made it possible to overcome the emergency and avoid a more serious outcome.
