A Colombian regional airplane has gone missing.

The Colombian Minister of Transportation has confirmed that a small commuter airplane belonging to the Colombian airline Satena disappeared from radar on January 28th while flying over the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander province. The aircraft was carrying 13 passengers and 2 crew members. Moments before it was scheduled to land at Ocaa Airport at 12:10 PM local time, the plane lost contact with air traffic control. The last communication indicated that the plane was located between the cities of Blen de Bajir and Acar, in a region with complex terrain and difficult access. The Colombian Civil Aviation Authority and the military have initiated a search and rescue operation. The initial technical reports indicate that no transponder signals were detected from the aircraft and there are no records of subsequent communications.