Bogota - A Boeing 727 plowed into mountains overlooking Bogota shortly after takeoff on Monday, and all of the at least 61 people aboard were killed, authorities said.
The aircraft, belonging to Ecuador's military-run TAME airline but contracted out to Air France, was three minutes into a flight from Bogota's El Dorado airport and destined for Quito, Ecuador, when it slammed into the mountains at 4:37 p.m. (10.47 p.m. Irish time) and burst into flames, civil aviation officials said.
The dead were 51 passengers and 10 crew members.
"There are definitely no survivors on the ground," said Mr William Henao, a police officer who was one of the first people to make his way to the crash site atop the Cerro El Cable mountain. Rescue operations were called off after about two hours because of heavy rain and poor visibility.