US-Made Army Helicopter Crashes on Supply Flight

A Colombian Army UH-60 Black Hawk carrying four crew members and 15 soldiers crashed Monday afternoon while flying a military supply and personnel transport route between Popayán and Inzá in Cauca department. All 19 people aboard survived, the Army said.

The Army’s Transport Mission

The crash took place on Monday, October 19, 2026, local time, during a flight assigned to carry military supplies and personnel. Four crew members and 15 soldiers were aboard. The soldiers included one non-commissioned officer and 14 professional soldiers from the platoon known as Báltico 2.

El Tiempo placed Báltico 2 in the Army’s Third Division and linked the unit to Brigade 29 and the BILOP7 light infantry battalion. The Rio Times report pointed out a difference in how outlets counted those aboard: an El Tiempo headline listed 15 soldiers, while other reports counted all 19 people, including crew.

El Tiempo identified the helicopter as a US-designed Sikorsky aircraft, registration EJC 2175. The Army operates US-made aircraft, and militaries around the world use the Black Hawk to transport troops and cargo. The flight’s stated purpose was to carry military supplies and personnel.

Injuries and Investigation

No one died; everyone aboard survived. El Tiempo and El Espectador reported that four people suffered fractures and 15 had bruises. According to those reports, all were in stable condition.

Army specialists and technicians are heading to investigate the crash. The Army hasn’t announced a cause. El Espectador reported system failures that led to a loss of altitude, but the Army hasn’t confirmed that account.

The report didn’t establish the exact crash site, the terrain or the aircraft’s condition. Investigators’ position on hostile fire also wasn’t known. The reports described an accident and didn’t mention an attack.

The Rio Times report said the Army’s investigation would determine whether any link existed to US-supplied equipment. The reported information hasn’t established such a link. The aircraft’s US design and the Army’s use of US-made aircraft are stated facts; the cause of this crash remains undetermined.

What the Reports Establish

The available account names the Army as operator and describes a military transport mission, but provides no information about profits, contractors’ earnings or the aircraft’s cost. It also reports no reform proposal, union activity, strike or organized resistance connected to the crash.

The report advised travelers in Cauca to follow official local guidance and the US State Department’s travel advisory for Colombia. It gave no information about road closures or other disruption in Cauca. The report’s status was listed as of 20:15 GMT on October 19, 2026.

The account cited a Colombian Army statement as reported by El Tiempo, along with El Espectador, Semana and Blu Radio. The Army’s investigation remains pending, and officials haven’t announced a cause.