Fifteen people were aboard when a small Satena plane went down in the mountains of northeastern Colombia on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. None survived. Among the dead was a sitting member of Congress.
The aircraft, registration HK4709, left the airport in Cúcuta at 11:42 a.m. local time for Ocaña, a municipality ringed by mountains, on a flight that normally takes about 40 minutes. Satena, the state-owned airline that ran the service, said controllers last heard from the plane minutes after it took off. According to the Associated Press, local officials in the community of Curasica then told authorities where it had come down, and a rescue team was sent to check on the passengers.
It found no one alive. Colombia’s Transportation Ministry said in a statement that once the wreck was located, authorities “regrettably confirmed that there were no survivors.” Al Jazeera quoted the ministry’s own words from earlier in the day: “The country is in mourning.”
Who was on board
The airline said the aircraft carried two crew members and 13 passengers. One was Diógenes Quintero, 36, a representative for Catatumbo. A lawyer, he was elected in 2022 as one of 16 members of the lower chamber speaking for more than 9 million victims of the country’s long armed conflict. Those seats were created under the 2016 peace agreement between the government and the FARC. His U Party called him “a leader committed to his region, with a firm vocation for service.” Quintero was also known as a human rights defender in the border area where he grew up and where the plane fell.
Carlos Salcedo, a social leader running for Congress, was also killed. Al Jazeera reported that he was a candidate for the same seat Quintero held.
President Gustavo Petro wrote on social media: “I am deeply saddened by these deaths. My heartfelt condolences to their families. May they rest in peace.”
What is known about the cause
Very little. Officials gave no cause but said an investigation would follow. Transportation Minister Maria Fernanda Rojas told a news conference that the state was carrying out “all the necessary tasks, protocols and procedures” and promised responsible information. Her ministry said the Civil Aeronautics accident investigation directorate was gathering information about the loss of communication, and an emergency command post had been set up.
Al Jazeera added two details that remain unconfirmed. Local air traffic control sources said the flight history showed a sudden drop in altitude 11 minutes before the expected landing in Ocaña. And a local official, speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to talk to the press, said authorities suspected bad weather had played a part.
The crash site is in Norte de Santander, in dense jungle that complicated the search. The wider Catatumbo region is an active conflict zone and home to the world’s largest cultivations of coca, Al Jazeera noted. The Cúcuta to Ocaña route had begun operating only in June 2025, a milestone for an area that has long had poor road links to major cities.
Sources
- Small plane crashes in Colombia, killing all 15 on board, including congressman
- Colombian lawmaker among 15 killed in plane crash near Venezuela | Aviation News | Al Jazeera
