Colombia

Colombia: Lawmaker and Congressional Candidate Among 15 Dead in Plane Crash

Was the crash caused by a sudden altitude drop or was the remote mountainous terrain to blame?

Published JAN 29

Colombia: Lawmaker and Congressional Candidate Among 15 Dead in Plane Crash

Story

Above: A member of Carlos Salcedo's campaign team reacts after his death in northern Colombia on Jan. 28, 2026. Image credit: Schneyder Mendoza/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

All 15 people — 13 passengers and two crew members — aboard a passenger plane were confirmed dead after it crashed in northern Colombia on Wednesday.
BBC News
Sky News
Before the plane was located, a notice from Satena Airlines, the state-run firm that operated flight NSE 8849 from Cúcuta to Ocaña — two cities in the Northern Santander region on the border with Venezuela — said that the Beechcraft 1900 aircraft took off at 11:42 a.m. local time and was scheduled to land roughly 20 minutes later. However, its last contact with air traffic control was 12 minutes after takeoff.
OSINT Spectator on X
The airline added it "activated all available resources" and worked with the command and control of the Colombian Aerospace Force, as well as the country's Civil Aviation Authority, to locate the plane.
OSINT Spectator on X
But when it was found by rescuers, they "regrettably confirmed that there were no survivors," a statement from Colombia's transportation department read.
Sky News
CBS News
Among the dead was Diógenes Quintero, a Colombian lawmaker elected in 2022 and holding one of 16 new seats in the lower chamber to represent victims of Colombia's decades-long history of armed insurgency. A statement on Quintero's Facebook page confirmed his death alongside assistant Natalia Acosta, "who always took care of the whole team and filled every space with happiness."
BBC News
CBS News
The New Humanitarian
Norwegian Refugee Council
Diógenes Quintero on Facebook
Carlos Salcedo, a congressional candidate in the upcoming elections, was also confirmed among the dead. So too were Juan David Pacheco Mejía, a former councillor of Ocaña, and his wife María Sánchez. Other civilians confirmed dead included María Torcoroma Álvarez and Rolando Peñaloza Gualdrón, while the pilots were named as Miguel Vanegas Baquero and José Joaquín de la Vega.
BBC News
El Heraldo Colombia
Colombia Ministry of Transportation

Sources Split

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CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

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ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Condolences and solidarity to all those who have lost friends and loved ones in this awful tragedy. May they rest in peace. A full investigation is underway to uncover the circumstances.

CBS News

AZ Intel on X

Narrative B

While much is still unknown about these tragic circumstances, local air traffic control sources say the plane showed a sudden drop in altitude around the time of the crash. It took place in a remote mountainous area characterized by dense jungle, and this likely had a part to play.

Al Jazeera