A Satena plane operated by Searca crashed in the Curasica hamlet of La Playa de Belén municipality, Norte de Santander, killing 15 people including congressman Diógenes Quintero Amaya. Flight NSE 8849 was en route from Cúcuta to Ocaña and lost radar contact around 11:45 a.m. on January 28, 2026. Satena offered condolences and pledged to clarify the accident.
On January 28, 2026, the Beechcraft aircraft with registration HK-4709 operating Satena's flight NSE 8849 from Cúcuta to Ocaña took off at 11:42 a.m. and reported its last contact with air traffic control at 11:54 a.m. The plane, carrying 13 passengers and 2 crew members, vanished in a rural area between La Playa de Belén and Hacarí, a region with challenging geography.
Hours later, around 7:41 p.m., Satena confirmed the discovery of the wreckage in the Curasica hamlet. 'According to communication provided by the president of the community action board of the Curasica hamlet, in the municipality of La Playa de Belén, the Beechcraft aircraft with registration HK-4709... suffered a fatal accident, with a toll of 15 people deceased', the airline reported.
Among the victims is Representative to the Chamber Diógenes Quintero Amaya, a lawyer specialized in Administrative Law and advocate for Catatumbo communities. His party, Cambio Radical, stated: 'We express our deepest solidarity to the family of Representative Diógenes Quintero, as well as to those of all passengers and crew who lost their lives in the tragic accident'.
The list of deceased includes María Álvarez Barbosa, Carlos Salcedo, Rolando Peñaloza Gualdrón, María Díaz Rodríguez, Maira Avendaño Rincón, Anayisel Quintero, Karen Parales Vera, Anirley Julio Osorio, Gineth Rincón, Natalia Acosta Salcedo, Maira Sánchez Criado, Juan Pacheco Mejía, along with captains Miguel Vanegas and José de la Vega.
Immediately after losing contact, the Directorate of Accident Investigation of the Civil Aeronautics activated emergency protocols and set up a Unified Command Post involving relief organizations and Public Force. Transport Minister María Fernanda Rojas said all available information was being gathered. Satena opened a hotline at (601) 919 3333 for families and stated: 'From Satena, we extend our sincerest condolences... we will deploy all our resources for humanitarian support to their families as well as to clarify what happened'.
The accident highlights the challenges of aviation in Colombia's remote areas, where terrain complicates search and rescue operations.
