A Beechcraft 1900 similar to this one was reported missing Wednesday while flying a regional route between Cucuta and Ocana in the northeastern department of Santander, Colombia. File Photo by EPA
A plane operated by Colombia’s state-owned airline Satena was reported missing Wednesday morning while flying a regional route between Cucuta and Ocana in the northeastern department of Santander.
The aircraft was carrying 15 people, including lawmaker Diogenes Quintero, who holds a peace seat in Congress, and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate for the Chamber of Representatives, according to authorities and the airline in a press statement.
Flight NSE 8849 departed from Cucuta and was scheduled to land at Ocana’s Aguas Claras airport around midday after a flight of just over 30 minutes.
According to official information, the last contact between the aircraft and air traffic control occurred at 11:54 a.m., minutes before the scheduled landing time. Communication was not re-established after that.
The missing aircraft is a Beechcraft 1900 with registration HK4709, a regional plane commonly used on short routes and in hard-to-reach areas of Colombia. Satena said 13 passengers and two crew members were on board.
Sources from the Partido de la U said Quintero and Salcedo.were traveling with members of their press teams, Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported.
Preliminary data from flight-tracking platforms indicated the aircraft was flying at about 7,900 feet when it disappeared from radar while heading west. Local broadcaster Blu Radio reported the plane had between seven and eight minutes of flight remaining to reach its destination, about 20 miles from Ocana.
Radar data last placed the aircraft in a mountainous area of the Catatumbo region, between the municipalities of Hacari and La Playa de Belen, an area known for difficult terrain.
Transportation Minister Maria Fernanda Rojas said the Civil Aviation Authority’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Directorate immediately began gathering information after the loss of communication.
“The corresponding protocols were activated and we have already set up a unified command post,” Rojas said in an official statement.
Units from the Colombian Air Force and the Aeronautical Search and Rescue Group moved to the area where the aircraft was last detected to conduct search operations. Authorities said adverse weather conditions in the region have hampered the effort.
Authorities said search operations remain active as information continues to be verified on the ground.
