A domestic flight operated by Colombia’s state-owned airline Satena crashed in the mountainous Catatumbo region near the Venezuelan border on Wednesday, resulting in the tragic loss of all fifteen individuals aboard. The aircraft, identified as a Beechcraft 1900 twin-propeller plane, was conducting a scheduled 23-minute hop from Cucuta to Ocana when it vanished from radar contact shortly before its anticipated noon landing.
Colombian authorities confirmed no survivors from the devastating crash that claimed thirteen passengers and two crew members. The passenger manifest included Representative Diogenes Quintero, a 36-year-old member of Colombia’s chamber of deputies, and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate for upcoming legislative elections. Quintero’s political party memorialized him as a community-focused leader deeply connected to his conflict-ridden home region.
Search and recovery operations faced extreme challenges due to the treacherous terrain within the Andes’ eastern range, where volatile weather patterns and dense jungle coverage complicate aerial operations. The crash site lies within territories significantly influenced by the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia’s largest active guerrilla group, adding security complications to the recovery efforts.
President Gustavo Petro expressed profound condolences via social media, stating: ‘I deeply regret these deaths. All my solidarity to their families.’ As of initial reports, recovery teams had successfully retrieved seven bodies from the wreckage according to North Santander state governor William Villamizar.
Aviation authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the causal factors behind Colombia’s latest aviation tragedy, emphasizing that preliminary findings remain inconclusive regarding technical failures or weather-related circumstances.