SATENA-operated Beechcraft 1900D crashes in northern Colombia, killing all 15 on board

A passenger aircraft operated by SATENA crashed in northern Colombia on Wednesday, January 28, killing all 15 people on board. The turboprop was operating a scheduled domestic service from Cúcuta to Ocaña when contact was lost shortly before its planned arrival.

The aircraft involved was a Beechcraft 1900D, registered HK-4709, manufacturer serial number UE-140, built in 1994. The twin-engine aircraft was operated by SEARCA – Servicio Aéreo de Capurganá on behalf of SATENA and was destroyed in the accident.

According to the airline, the flight departed Camilo Daza Airport in Cúcuta carrying 13 passengers and two crew members. Loss of contact occurred approximately 11 minutes before landing at Aguas Claras Airport in Ocaña, near the Venezuelan border. Wreckage was later located in a remote, mountainous area of the Norte de Santander department.

ADS-B data indicates the aircraft took off from runway 16 at Cúcuta at 16:42 UTC (11:42 local time). The flight climbed to about 12,900 feet before beginning a descent. The last recorded position from Flightradar24 was at 16:54 UTC, at an altitude of approximately 7,900 feet. Colombia’s civil aviation authority, Aerocivil, reported the last known position between the municipalities of Hacarí and La Playa de Belén.

Among the passengers were Diógenes Quintero Amaya, a sitting lawmaker, and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in upcoming congressional elections. Quintero held one of the parliamentary seats reserved for victims of Colombia’s internal armed conflict.

Search and recovery operations were launched immediately, with support from Colombia’s armed forces due to the difficult terrain and security conditions in the region, where armed groups including the ELN are active. Local authorities said several bodies were recovered during the initial phase of the operation.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed condolences to the victims’ families, describing the incident as a national tragedy. An official investigation has been opened to determine the causes of the crash.

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