The first hypotheses about the plane crash that occurred yesterday in northeastern Colombia strongly point to adverse weather factors, especially bad weather and the presence of fog in a mountainous area of the Catatumbo region characterized by sudden changes in visibility.
Although the official investigation remains open, testimonies from residents and preliminary reports agree that atmospheric conditions would have been decisive in the accident, in which 15 people died, including passengers and crew, after a plane serving the state airline Satena crashed.
For now, authorities are ruling out the hypothesis of an attack, even though the accident occurred in a corridor where different illegal armed groups operate. Residents who arrived first at the site said they did not hear explosions or gunfire and that the impact was perceived as an aviation accident, in line with the initial thesis of a combination of adverse weather, complex geography, and possible operational factors.
Bad weather likely behind yesterday’s Colombia plane crash
The main line of investigation focuses on the weather conditions recorded in the area at the time of the accident. In the days leading up to it, persistent rain, dense cloud cover, and fog banks were reported in the mountainous corridor between Cucuta, the Catatumbo region, and Ocaña, which would have drastically reduced visibility during the flight.
Testimonies collected by regional and national media point in the same direction. A farmer who reached the crash site said the aircraft would have encountered dense fog and difficulty maintaining visibility in an area of mountain ridges, where a small trajectory error can be fatal.
Aviation authorities also confirmed that investigation teams have had difficulties accessing the crash site precisely because of thick fog and unstable weather conditions, a factor that reinforces the weather hypothesis while technical flight data are being analyzed.
The accident occurred in a region of steep terrain, with mountains covered by dense vegetation and sudden weather changes, characteristics that have historically complicated air operations, especially on short flights involving ascent and descent maneuvers within limited timeframes.
One of the points that has drawn the most attention is the fact that the accident occurred in a region with a historical presence of illegal armed groups, including guerrillas and dissident factions. However, both local testimonies and initial analyses rule out, for now, the hypothesis of an attack.
Residents who inspected the area after the impact said they found no signs of explosives or evidence of an armed attack, something that is usually easily identifiable in areas accustomed to conflict. In fact, some witnesses stated that the sound before the impact was perceived as an accident rather than an attack, distinguishing it from detonations or rifle bursts, which are common in that region of the country.
The investigation will follow several lines, including technical analysis of the aircraft, review of communications, exact weather conditions, and human or operational factors. For its part, the airline announced this morning that a press conference will be held at noon today, Thursday, Jan. 29, to provide details about what happened.
Comunicado Oficial pic.twitter.com/0D3bPRUI4S
— SATENA la aerolínea de los Colombianos 🇨🇴 (@AerolineaSatena) January 29, 2026
The flight and the facts confirmed so far
The aircraft, a Beechcraft 1900 operated by the company Searca for Satena, was covering the route between Cucuta and Ocaña, a regional trip that normally takes less than half an hour. The plane took off shortly before noon and lost contact with air traffic control just minutes later, during the phase before descent.
There were 15 people on board, including 13 passengers and two crew members. There were no survivors. Among the victims was Representative to the House Diogenes Quintero, along with other regional leaders and members of their teams, which increased the political and social impact of the tragedy in the country.
The wreckage of the plane was located in a rural area of the municipality of La Playa de Belen, in Norte de Santander, in a difficult-to-access sector where the first to arrive were local farmers, before official rescue teams reached the site.
The accident has generated national shock not only because of the number of victims, but also because of the profile of some passengers and the symbolism of the tragedy in a region historically hit by armed conflict.
The government, Civil Aeronautics, and the airline Satena activated investigation protocols and assistance for families. At the same time, recovery operations continue in an area that still presents logistical difficulties due to weather and geography.
Authorities reiterated that the official cause will only be established after full technical analysis, although the weight of early evidence keeps the combination of bad weather, fog, and adverse geographic conditions as the main hypothesis.
As investigations move forward, the tragedy reopens the debate about the risks of regional aviation in territories with complex geography and unpredictable weather, where every flight involves facing natural variables difficult to control. The country, meanwhile, remains waiting for definitive answers about one of the most impactful plane crashes of recent years in Colombia.