A chilling silence descended over the Colombian-Venezuelan border region Wednesday as confirmation arrived of the crash of Satena Flight HK-4709, extinguishing the lives of all fifteen souls on board. The small Beechcraft 1900, en route from Cúcuta to Ocaña, vanished from radar, triggering a desperate search that ultimately revealed the devastating truth.
The flight departed at 11:42 a.m., a routine journey expected to last just under an hour. Its last communication with air traffic control came at 11:54 a.m., a fleeting signal before it slipped into the vastness of the mountainous landscape. As the scheduled landing time passed, and then the critical flight endurance window closed at 2 p.m., a growing sense of dread gripped those awaiting its arrival.
Immediately, a massive aerial search was launched, spearheaded by the Colombian Aerospace Force and the National Army, joined by civilian charter company Searca. Aircraft scoured the last known location and meticulously traced the planned flight path, battling against time and increasingly grim prospects. The terrain, notoriously unforgiving, presented a formidable challenge to the search efforts.
Just before 5:30 p.m., the heartbreaking news broke: the aircraft had crashed, leaving no survivors. The confirmation came from a local community leader in the rural district of Curásica, a stark and devastating end to hours of anxious waiting. A wave of grief washed over Colombia as the names of those lost began to surface.
Among the passengers was Diogenes Quintero Amaya, a sitting member of the House of Representatives, and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate vying for a seat in the same legislative body. Their presence underscored the vital role Satena plays in connecting the nation’s capital with its remote regions, often serving government officials and those engaged in public service.
The full passenger manifest revealed a diverse group: María Álvarez Barbosa, Rolando Penaloza Gualdron, María Díaz Rodríguez, Maira Avendano Rincon, Anayisel Quintero, Karen Parales Vera, Anirley Julio Osorio, Gineth Rincon, Natalia Acosta Salcedo, Maira Sánchez Criado, and Juan Pacheco Mejía – each life representing a story tragically cut short. The crew, Captains Miguel Vanegas and Jose de la Vega, were also lost.
The region where the crash occurred is known for its challenging conditions, a landscape of steep mountains and frequently obscured visibility. Weeks of heavy rainfall had saturated the area between Cúcuta and Catatumbo, compounding the difficulties and adding to the sense of vulnerability. Recent reports also highlighted ongoing violence in the area, including targeted killings and displacement of civilians.
Satena expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, pledging full support and a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. The airline committed to deploying all available resources to provide humanitarian assistance and to uncover the truth behind this devastating loss.
