A domestic flight in northeastern Colombia ended in tragedy on January 28th 2026, when a Satena-operated Beech 1900D disappeared from radar during descent and was later found crashed on a cloud-covered mountain in the Catatumbo region. All 15 people on board lost their lives.
The SATENA Beechcraft 1900D, registered HK-4709, was operating flight 9R-8895 from Cúcuta to Ocaña with 13 passengers and two crew members. The aircraft, operated by SEARCA on behalf of Satena, was descending through approximately 8,000 feet near position N8.20 W73.14, about 12 nautical miles east of Ocaña, when radio and radar contact was lost at about 11:54 local time (16:54Z).
Colombia’s civil aviation authority, Aerocivil, reported that contact with the aircraft was lost and that all relevant emergency protocols were immediately activated. A search operation in mountainous terrain located the wreckage in the municipality of La Playa de Belén, between the villages of La Playa and Ábrego, on the top of a mountain obscured by cloud cover. Authorities confirmed there were no survivors.
During a press conference, officials described a severe impact in a difficult-to-access area between La Playa and Ábrego in the municipality of La Playa de Belén, located in the Catatumbo region. Recovery efforts were complicated by the rugged terrain and weather conditions.
The airline stated that the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control at 11:54 local time. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) did not activate, further complicating initial search efforts.
Ocaña is surrounded by mountains rising up to approximately 2,600 meters (8,500 feet) above mean sea level, presenting significant terrain challenges for arriving aircraft. No METAR reports were available for Ocaña (SKOC) at the time of the accident. However, the local weather station reported conditions at 12:00 local time of 26°C temperature, 19°C dew point, easterly winds at 5 knots, atmospheric pressure of 978 hPa, and patches of fog.
In its preliminary report, released in Spanish, Aerocivil stated that the aircraft was descending toward Ocaña about 15 nautical miles from the airport when the crew reported their position and were handed off to the airport’s “auto announcement” frequency. This transmission was the last recorded communication with air traffic control.
The final radar position was recorded at N08°12’17.40″ W073°11’38.71″ at 16:55:48Z, showing the aircraft at 6,500 feet MSL and 234 knots true airspeed. Data from the flight data recorder indicated the last recorded altitude was 6,298 feet MSL. At that time, the left engine was producing 1,794.2 ft/lb of torque at 1,245.9 RPM, while the right engine showed 1,203.7 ft/lb at 1,420.2 RPM. The aircraft had a negative pitch of 7.7 degrees and a vertical acceleration of +1.071G. No further information was recorded.
Investigators determined the aircraft collided with terrain at position N08°12’20.6″ W073°11’50.2″ at an elevation of 6,820 feet MSL. The wreckage came to rest at N08°12’20.7″ W073°11’54.0″ at an elevation of 6,881 feet MSL, slightly upslope from the initial impact point.
Aerocivil also reported that the right-hand powerplant and the right-hand structural portion of the landing gear were not found at the crash site, raising concerns that parts of the wreckage may have been looted.
Weather analysis indicated fragmented low cloud cover in the area, predominantly due to orographic formation, with no convective storm activity near the accident site.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the factors that led to the loss of the aircraft in one of Colombia’s most terrain-challenged regions.
