The world may have lost one of the last 
Boeing 727 aircraft, following an incident in Colombia, where Aerosucre was operating its B727-200 freighter between Barranquilla and Bogotá. The airplane, registered as HK-5216, has been flying for over 45 years.
In a report by Aviation Herald, the 727 freighter had experienced a failure on the left-hand main landing gear and was forced to return to Barranquilla around 70 minutes after takeoff, and saw the jet’s left wing make contact with the runway. Given the aircraft’s age, it remains unclear if it will be repaired.
Flight A4-141
Aerosucre flight A4-141 was a scheduled cargo flight that departed from Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ) on Friday, December 12 at 2:27am. The flight had an expected flight time of just over an hour to arrive at Bogota El Dorado International Airport (BOG).
The aircraft operating the flight had registration HK-5216 (serial number 21996), and had departed from Barranquilla from the airport’s Runway 05. However, the crew experienced a failure of the left-hand main landing gear, and the crew opted to stop the aircraft ascent at around 15,000 feet. Out of an abundance of caution, the captain decided to return to Barranquilla and descended to around 3,000 feet before entering a holding pattern.
The aircraft eventually touched down back on Runway 05 one hour and 14 minutes after initial departure, touching down at 03:41. During the plane’s rollout, the left wing lowered to the runway and skidded on the tarmac. While the crew was able to correct the aircraft, remaining on the runway, the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
No Injuries Reported
Emergency services met the plane on its return to Barranquilla, and Colombia’d Aerocivil has launched an investigation as to what occurred. At this time, it is believed that none of the crew were injured. However, the 45-year-old aircraft, one of the last remaining Boeing 727-200s still in operation, has sustained substantial damage to the left landing gear and wing. It remains unclear whether, given the plane’s age, it will be repaired or subsequently written off.
Following the incident, the aircraft has remained parked on the apron at Barranquilla, while the investigation is ongoing, and likely will remain at the Colombian airport for some time. For Aerosucre, this will be a blow to the carrier’s already small fleet of aircraft, which, according to ch-aviation, has just six active aircraft, detailed below:
|
Aircraft Type |
Active Number In Fleet |
Average Age |
|---|---|---|
|
Boeing 727-200F |
One |
45.3 years |
|
Boeing 737-200F |
One |
44.9 years |
|
Boeing 737-300F |
Two |
37.3 years |
|
Boeing 737-400F |
One |
33.7 years |
|
Boeing 737-400SF |
One |
33 years |
Simple Flying reached out to Aerosucre for more details on the incident, but the carrier did not immediately respond by the time this article was published.
How Many Boeing 727s Are Left?
Less than two dozen Boeing 727s remain operational worldwide in 2025, mainly as freighters. Here’s where you can spot them.
Aerosucre And One Of The Last Boeing 727s
Aerosucre S.A. is a Colombian cargo airline that operates to and from Bogota. It operates scheduled domestic and international cargo services across Latin America and the Caribbean. The airline has faced several accidents across its lifetime, raising questions about the safety culture and behavior of pilots. According to Beehiiv, it has been nicknamed one of the world’s most ‘dangerous airlines.‘
According to ch-aviation, there are just 23 active remaining Boeing 727 aircraft still flying today, primarily by cargo airlines across Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. The aircraft at the center of this incident, HK-5216, was first ordered by Braniff International Airways in September 1978 and took its first flight on January 12, 1980. It was subsequently delivered to the airline on January 22, 1980.
The airplane has had a colorful history operating for airlines such as US Air and American Trans Air, before being converted to a freighter aircraft in 2003. It was subsequently operated by Astar Air Cargo, before Venescar Internacional, and Air Class Lineas Aereas between 2009 and 2017, before being acquired by Aerosucre in January 2017. Information from ch-aviation (unfortunately, last updated in 2009) showed the plane has surpassed more than 62,000 flight hours and 34,820 flight cycles.
