A SATENA government aircraft crashed minutes after takeoff in Colombia’s Norte de Santander province, killing all 15 people on board. The plane lost contact with air traffic control shortly after departing Cucuta for Ocana and went down in a hilly area near the Venezuela border. Rescue teams confirmed no survivors.
Fifteen Dead as Plane Loses Contact Shortly After Departure in Colombia
Bogota: A devastating plane crash occurred in northeastern Colombia on Wednesday. A plane belonging to the state-owned airline SATENA crashed in a rural area of the Norte de Santander province, killing all 15 people on board. The accident occurred in a mountainous region near the Venezuelan border, significantly hampering rescue and relief operations.
According to reports, the plane departed from Cucuta Airport at 11:42 a.m. for the city of Ocanaya. Ocanaya is a mountainous region, and the typical flight time is about 40 minutes. However, the plane lost contact with air traffic control just minutes after takeoff. Locals subsequently informed authorities that the plane had crashed near an area called Cucanaya.
As soon as the information was received, authorities dispatched rescue teams to the scene. But when rescue teams arrived at the scene, the Colombian Ministry of Transportation confirmed that no passengers or crew members survived the accident. The plane was completely damaged after crashing into the hills.
The plane was carrying a total of 15 people, including 13 passengers and 2 crew members. The passengers included Maria Alvarez Barbosa, Carlos Salcedo, Rolando Peñaloza Gualdron, Maria Diaz Rodriguez, Mayra Avendaño Rincón, Anaysel Quintero, Carre Parales Vera, Enirly Julio Osorio, Gineth Rincón, Diogenes Quintero Amaya, Natalia Acosta Salcedo, Mayra Sanchez Criado, and Juan Pacheco Mejia.
The crew members were Captain Miguel Venegas and Captain Jose de la Vega.
Diogenes Quintero, a prominent figure among the passengers killed in the accident, represented victims of internal armed conflict in his region. His death has caused deep grief and concern in the local community.
The registration number of the crashed aircraft is reported to be HK-4709. It is currently unclear whether the accident was caused by a technical fault, weather, or some other reason. Colombian investigative agencies have launched an investigation and are expected to release a report on the cause of the accident soon.
