Plane carrying 10 people goes missing in Colombia

A small plane carrying 10 people has gone missing in Colombia, according to authorities. A search and rescue operation is underway.

The charter plane was traveling from Juradó to Medellín when it lost contact with air traffic control around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority (Aerocivil). The aircraft lost communication between the towns of Urrao and Betulia.

The Cessna 402, registered as HK 2522, was carrying 10 people, including eight passengers and two crew members, Aerocivil reported. The plane is operated by the airline Pacifica.

Pacifica manager Rubén Darío Lésmes Bustamante told El Colombiano that a search plan for the aircraft was activated late Wednesday afternoon. As of 8:00 p.m., its whereabouts were still unknown.

“So far, what we know is that the aircraft was on a flight plan from Juradó to Medellín. It was supposed to land at 6:00 p.m., but it has not communicated with ATC. The radar signal was lost at approximately 5:40 p.m.,” Lésmes Bustamante said.

Lésmes also detailed that among the eight passengers were three minors and five adults. Pacifica confirmed the names of both pilots: Luis Guillermo Clavijo and Santiago Montoya. The passengers were identified as Angie Sanclemente, Greimar Castro Sanclemente, Grettel Castro Sanclemente, Raquel Palacios, Cristal Sofía Hernández, Danny Moreno Culma, Miguelina García, and Yoarledis Valencia.

At this time, it is unclear whether the plane has been involved in an accident.