In northeastern Norte de Santander province, Colombia, a small airplane crash occurred on the 28th of January. A domestic short-haul flight operated by the state-owned airline Satena crashed in the mountainous area, resulting in the deaths of all 15 people on board, including a member of congress and a congressional candidate.
According to Satena Airlines and official reports, the crashed aircraft was a Beechcraft 1900 twin-engine turboprop plane that took off from Cúcuta near the Venezuela border at 11:42 am local time. The flight was destined for the nearby town of Ocaña, with a scheduled duration of about 40 minutes.
Approximately 12 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control and the onboard emergency locator transmitter (ELT) did not activate. Residents of the Curasica community later reported the possible crash site of the aircraft, leading rescue teams to rush to the scene. Colombian transportation authorities confirmed the unfortunate news that no one survived after locating the wreckage.
The passenger list provided by the airline showed that there were 2 crew members and 13 passengers on board, including 36-year-old congressman Diógenes Quintero and social leader Carlos Salcedo, who was preparing to run in the parliamentary elections in March.
Quintero, hailing from the conflict-affected Catatumbo region bordering Venezuela, was a well-known human rights defender and a lawyer by profession. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022, representing one of the “peace seats” reserved for over 9 million victims of the internal conflict in Colombia. Other members of his team also perished in this tragic event.
The U Party, to which Quintero belonged, expressed deep condolences for his passing, lauding him as a leader committed to local development with a strong sense of service mission.
Local media images depict severe damage to the aircraft fuselage, with wreckage scattered across the mountainous terrain.
The accident site is located in a remote mountainous region known for coca leaf (cocaine raw material) cultivation and as a hotspot for illegal armed activities involving the National Liberation Army (ELN) and splinter factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Satena Airlines and officials have yet to clarify the cause of the crash, only stating that they will cooperate with relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the sequence of events leading to the tragedy.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed profound sorrow on social media over the loss of life in the air disaster and extended sincere condolences to the families of the victims.