Plane Crash In Colombia: 15 Killed In A Plane Crash In Northeastern Colombia Minutes After Takeoff

International

oi-Swastika Sruti

Published: Thursday, January 29, 2026, 8:48 [IST]

A
small
passenger
plane
crashed
in
a
rural
area
of
northeastern
Colombia
on
Wednesday,
killing
all
15
people
on
board.
Local
authorities
confirmed
that
there
were
no
survivors.
The
aircraft
belonged
to
the
state-owned
airline
Satena
and
was
operating
a
short
domestic
flight.

The
plane
had
taken
off
from
the
city
of
Cúcuta
near
the
Venezuelan
border
and
was
heading
to
Ocaña.
The
journey
usually
takes
less
than
an
hour.
However,
contact
with
air
traffic
control
was
lost
just
minutes
after
the
aircraft
departed.

Contact
Lost
Shortly
After
Takeoff

According
to
officials,
the
plane
left
Cúcuta
airport
at
around
11:42
a.m.
About
12
minutes
into
the
flight,
air
traffic
controllers
were
unable
to
reach
the
aircraft.
The
emergency
signal
on
the
plane
was
also
not
activated.

Soon
after,
local
residents
reported
a
crash
in
the
Curacica
area
of
Norte
de
Santander
province.
Rescue
teams
were
sent
to
the
site,
which
is
located
in
a
hilly
and
remote
region.
When
the
teams
arrived,
they
found
that
the
plane
had
been
completely
destroyed.

Lawmaker
and
Political
Figures
Among
Victims

The
15
people
on
board
included
13
passengers
and
two
crew
members.
One
of
the
passengers
was
Diógenes
Quintero,
a
lawmaker
known
for
representing
victims
of
internal
armed
conflict
in
the
region.
His
assistant
was
also
traveling
with
him.

Another
passenger
was
Carlos
Salcedo,
a
political
figure
who
was
preparing
to
contest
upcoming
elections.
The
news
of
their
deaths
has
caused
deep
sorrow
among
local
communities
and
political
circles.

Cause
of
the
Crash
Still
Unknown

Authorities
have
not
yet
confirmed
what
caused
the
accident.
Investigators
are
examining
whether
the
crash
was
due
to
a
technical
problem,
weather
conditions,
or
another
factor.
The
region
where
the
crash
occurred
is
mountainous
and
difficult
to
access,
which
may
slow
down
the
investigation.

Officials
have
assured
that
a
detailed
probe
is
underway
and
more
information
will
be
shared
once
the
investigation
progresses.