Colombian authorities have confirmed no survivors among the 15 occupants of a Satena Beech 1900D turboprop which crashed while operating a domestic service.
Satena states that the aircraft’s wreckage was discovered in the vicinity of Curasica, in the district of La Playa de Belen, about 45nm northwest of its departure point of Cucuta.
Colombian military personnel and other agencies had participated in a search after the 1900D – bound for Ocana – lost contact a few minutes prior to its scheduled arrival time.
The country’s transport ministry says the aircraft was subsequently located and this confirmed “there were no survivors”.
It lists 13 passengers and two pilots on the manifest.
Colombian air transport regulator Aeronautica Civil says it has ordered a technical investigation to establish “rigorously and transparently” the cause of the accident.
The crash site is about 10nm east of Ocana.
Satena has identified the airframe involved as HK-4709.
It departed Cucuta at 11:42 on 28 January and was scheduled to land at 12:05. The last contact with air traffic control took place at 11:54, according to the airline.
Satena states that, as of 14:00, the aircraft had “exceeded its flight endurance”. Flight 8849 was being operated by the carrier Searca.
Overflights to locate the missing turboprop had been conducted in the vicinity of the 1900D’s last contact point, along with searches along the aircraft’s route.
