A tragic aviation accident in Colombia has claimed the lives of 15 people after a passenger plane disappeared from radar and crashed in a mountainous region. The incident involved a state-run airline and occurred near the Venezuelan border. In a separate incident on the following day, a military aircraft in Thailand also crashed during a training mission, resulting in the death of two pilots.
What are the details of the Colombia crash?
The aircraft, a Beechcraft 1900D operated by Satena, took off from Cúcuta at 11:42 AM on Wednesday. It was scheduled to land in Ocaña, a short trip of about 20 to 40 minutes. However, air traffic control lost contact with the plane just 12 minutes into the flight at 11:54 AM. The wreckage was later found in a remote area near Curasica in the Norte de Santander province.
Authorities have confirmed that there were no survivors. The crash killed all 13 passengers and 2 crew members on board. Notable victims include Congressman Diógenes Quintero Amaya and social leader Carlos Salcedo. The plane was 31 years old and had flown approximately 32,000 hours.
What caused the accident?
Investigators from the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority are looking into the cause of the crash. Early reports suggest that heavy fog and poor visibility in the area might have led to the accident. This type of incident is often referred to as Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT).
Technical reports also indicate that the plane’s emergency beacon failed to activate upon impact, which complicated the search efforts. The Transportation Ministry has ordered immediate safety reviews for aviation operations in the region to prevent future tragedies.
What happened in the Thailand incident?
On Thursday morning, a Royal Thai Air Force aircraft crashed in the Chom Thong district, about 60 kilometers from Chiang Mai. The plane was a Beechcraft AT-6TH Wolverine, which is a light attack and reconnaissance aircraft. It was on a Combat Search and Rescue training mission when it went down.
Both pilots on board lost their lives in this accident. The aircraft was relatively new, having been part of a fleet commissioned in September 2025. The Air Force has assigned an investigation committee to determine why the crash occurred.
