The aircraft’s final contact with air traffic control came minutes after takeoff, according to a statement released by Satena. Officials did not provide a cause for the crash, but said there would be an investigation. The small plane was carrying two crew members and 13 passengers, including Diogenes Quintero, 36, a member of the House of Representatives for Catatumbo, the airline said. Carlos Salcedo, a social leader who was running for Congress, was also among the victims. Quintero was a renowned human rights defender in the troubled border region with Venezuela, where he was from and where the accident occurred.

Source: Ethiopian News January 28, 2026 15:43 UTC