Colombia military plane crash: Death toll climbs to 66 as C-130 carrying 125 goes down in Putumayo
Colombia military plane crash news: The accident occurred as the Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130 was taking off from Puerto Leguizamo on the border with Peru as it transported troops
People stand around a military cargo plane that crashed after taking off from Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, a remote municipality in the Amazonian province of Putumayo, Monday, March 23, 2026. (MiPutumayo via AP)
Colombia military plane crash news: At least 66 people were killed on Monday when a Colombian Air Force plane carrying 125 people crashed just after takeoff, the governor of Colombia’s Putumayo department said.
The accident occurred as the Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130 was taking off from Puerto Leguizamo on the border with Peru as it transported troops, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X.
Con profundo dolor informo que un avión Hércules de nuestra @FuerzaAereaCol sufrió un trágico accidente mientras despegaba de Puerto Leguízamo (Putumayo), cuando transportaba tropas de nuestra Fuerza Pública.
Unidades militares ya se encuentran en el lugar de los hechos; sin…
— Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez S. Orgullosamente Colombiano (@PedroSanchezCol) March 23, 2026
The plane hit the ground just one and a half kilometres away from where it took off, and ammunition being carried on board detonated as a result of fire on the aircraft, he later said.
There was no indication of an “attack by illegal actors,” and the plane was airworthy with a qualified crew ahead of departure, Sanchez added.
Footage from the scene shows thick smoke billowing from the wreckage of a plane that crashed shortly after takeoff.
Atención: Un avión Hércules de la @FuerzaAereaCol se accidentó saliendo de La Tagua, Putumayo. 110 soldados iban a bordo. Ya han sido rescatados 20 militares heridos. Situación en desarrollo. Vía @BluRadioCopic.twitter.com/Jgb4tw74aP
The Colombian Air Force reports 114 passengers and 11 crew members were on board, with the cause of the crash still under investigation. Lockheed Martin, the plane’s manufacturer, has expressed condolences and offered support to the investigation
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People stand around a military cargo plane that crashed after taking off from Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, a remote municipality in the Amazonian province of Putumayo, Monday, March 23, 2026. (MiPutumayo via AP) 
