Plane crashes in Norte de Santander, Colombia, leaving 15 dead; among the victims is a congressman
The aircraft lost contact with the control tower minutes before landing and crashed in Norte de Santander, Colombia, leaving 15 dead
A Satena state airline plane crashed in a mountainous area of Norte de Santander, in northeastern Colombia, leaving 15 dead. Among the victims are a congressman and a candidate for the House of Representatives, official sources confirmed. The plane, a twin-engine Beechcraft 1900 of American manufacture, was flying the Cucuta–Ocana route, a journey of approximately 23 minutes. It took off from Camilo Daza Airport at 11:42 am, but lost contact with air traffic control at 11:54 am, minutes before its estimated landing time at Aguas Claras Airport in Ocana.
“There are no survivors,” confirmed an official from the Colombian Civil Aeronautics Authority, which is leading the investigation into the crash.
Search operation in difficult-to-access area
After losing communication with the aircraft, the National Government deployed a search operation with support from the Colombian Aerospace Force.
Hours later, the wreckage of the plane was found in a mountainous area of ??the municipality of Playa de Belen, a difficult-to-access territory marked by illicit crops and the presence of illegal armed groups such as the National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC dissidents.
Satena reported that around 2:00 pm (local time) the plane had run out of fuel. flight autonomy time, which confirmed the severity of the air emergency.
Victims and political reaction
There were 13 passengers and two crew members on board. Among the victims was Congressman Diogenes Quintero, of the U Party, who expressed his solidarity with the families and deeply regretted his death. Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in the March legislative elections, also died, according to political and congressional sources.
The Minister of Transport, Maria Fernanda Rojas, It was reported that the Civil Aeronautics Accident Investigation Directorate has begun gathering information to clarify the causes of the loss of communication and the subsequent crash.
Ongoing Investigation
The aircraft, identified by registration HK-4709,It had a capacity for 19 passengers and was operated by the company Searca for Satena. Authorities are continuing with the recovery of bodies and technical analysis, while the investigation progresses to determine whether the accident was caused by mechanical failure, weather conditions, or operational factors.