A plane carrying 15 people that vanished mid-flight in Colombia was later located after it crashed in the country’s northeast region, with no survivors, officials said.
A source from the nation’s air force and local media told Reuters that all 15 people aboard died in the incident on Wednesday, Jan. 28. The City Paper Bogotá also reported that authorities confirmed Satena Airlines flight NSE 8849 crashed near Curasica, Playa de Belén, in Norte de Santander, with no known survivors.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Satena confirmed the crash, shared the names of the 15 people who were aboard, and offered condolences to the victims’ families.
The airline said earlier that Flight NSE 8849 was carrying 13 passengers and two crew members on the Cúcuta-to-Ocaña route. It took off shortly before 11:45 a.m. local time and was expected to land at 12:05 p.m.
But officials said the aircraft “reported its last contact with air traffic control” at 11:54 a.m.
Satena said it activated “all available resources,” working alongside the Command and Control Center of the Colombian Aerospace Force and the Technical and Accident Investigation Directorate of the Civil Aeronautics to search for the aircraft.
According to Reuters, citing Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, lawmaker Diogenes Quintero and congressional candidate Carlos Salcedo were on the plane. Satena included both names in its statement on X confirming the crash.
In a statement obtained by Reuters, representatives for Quintero said they had not been able to reach him or his assistant, Natalia Acosta Salcedo, since the plane departed.
Reuters reported the aircraft disappeared over a remote, mountainous area where coca plants are grown and where illegal armed groups — including the National Liberation Army (ELN) and a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) — operate.
On Wednesday, Colombia’s transport minister, Maria Fernanda Rojas, said in a post on X that the Directorate of Accident Investigation was “currently gathering information regarding the loss of communication.” She added that the relevant protocols had been activated and that a unified command post had been established.
The airline also shared a phone line for relatives seeking information and said any further updates would be provided through its official channels.
“Any additional information will be communicated promptly by the airline through its official channels,” Satena Airlines said.
