Curasica: A small passenger aircraft crashed on Wednesday near Colombia’s border with Venezuela, killing all 15 people on board, including a lawmaker and
a legislative candidate, authorities said. The accident occurred in a remote and mountainous area near the country’s border with Venezuela.
The Beechcraft 1900 twin-propeller plane, operating as Satena Flight 8895 and leased from private firm SEARCA, departed from Cúcuta’s Camilo Daza International Airport at 11:42 a.m. local time, bound for Ocaña. Communication with air traffic control was lost about 12 minutes after takeoff, shortly before the aircraft was due to land. Search teams later located wreckage in a rural area near Curasica in the Playa de Belén municipality. No survivors were found.
Satena and Colombia’s Transportation Ministry confirmed that all 13 passengers and two crew members died in the crash. Among the deceased was Diógenes Quintero, a 36-year-old Member of the House of Representatives of Colombia, and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in the upcoming congressional elections. Both were travelling with members of their teams.
“From Satena, we extend our most sincere condolences, with profound sorrow and full solidarity, to the families of our passengers and crew members who lost their lives in this accident,” the airline said in a statement.
The section of Colombia near the Venezuelan border where the plane disappeared is known for its rugged, mountainous terrain and often poor visibility, making flying conditions challenging. Local newspaper El Tiempo reported that the area between Cúcuta and the Catatumbo region has experienced weeks of heavy rainfall. The region has also seen recent unrest, including targeted killings, kidnappings and the forced displacement of civilians.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident
