15 Dead in Northeast Colombia Plane Crash, Victims Include Lawmaker and Congressional Hopeful
Story: Written by Daniel January 29,2026
At least fifteen people were killed on Wednesday when a small passenger aircraft operated by Colombia’s state-owned airline, Satena, crashed in the country’s northeast, the carrier confirmed.
The Beechcraft 1900 twin-engine turboprop departed shortly before noon from Cúcuta, near the Venezuelan border, on a brief domestic flight to Ocaña, according to airline officials cited by Reuters.
Satena said air traffic controllers lost communication with the aircraft about 12 minutes after takeoff. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and the airline noted that the plane’s emergency locator beacon was not activated.
A passenger manifest released by Satena indicated that those on board included local lawmaker Diógenes Quintero and members of his team, as well as Carlos Salcedo, a congressional candidate ahead of elections scheduled for March.
Photos shared by local media showed the wreckage scattered across rugged terrain, with severe damage visible on the aircraft’s fuselage.
The crash occurred in a mountainous area known for coca cultivation and the presence of illegal armed groups, including the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
