Singer Yeison Jiménez, 34, Dies Along with Five Team Members on Way to Concert

A prominent Colombian musician who once spoke of troubling dreams about a fatal plane accident was among those killed in a real-life aircraft disaster.

A tragic plane crash in central Colombia has left six people dead, including a beloved singer whose recent television interview is now being viewed through a chilling new lens.

The incident has shocked the nation and prompted a formal investigation.

Victims Identified

As reported by El Colombiano, singer and songwriter Yeison Jiménez, 34, was among the people killed when a light aircraft crashed on the afternoon of Saturday, January 10, 2026.

The flight had departed from Paipa, in the department of Boyacá, and was heading to Medellín when it plummeted between the municipalities of Paipa and Duitama, in a rural area known as the Romita sector.

Aside from Jiménez, other victims were identified as Captain Hernando Torres, the pilot; and passengers Yeison Jiménez, Juan Manuel Rodríguez; Óscar Marín, Jiménez's personal assistant; Jefferson Osorio, his manager; and Weisman Mora.

Both Marín and Osorio were reportedly part of Jiménez's close team, and Osorio was from Manzanares.

Recovery teams from the Attorney General's Office, local emergency responders, and the Army arrived at the site to retrieve the victims and secure the area. The Army later confirmed the identities of those on board.

Emergency Response

Bogotá's Search and Rescue Coordination Center (SAR) detected an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal shortly after the incident and dispatched emergency teams to the scene.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) later confirmed that SAR had established contact with the National Police, who were already present at the crash site. Paipa's Specialized Emergency Intervention (SEI) team and local emergency agencies coordinated response and recovery operations in the area.

Additionally, the Technical Directorate for Accident Investigation, which operates under the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, confirmed that a formal investigation is underway. Aerocivil said it will continue to release verified updates as new information becomes available.

In an official statement, the CAA expressed its condolences:

"The Civil Aviation Authority deeply regrets the accident that occurred in Paipa, Boyacá, in which six occupants of aircraft N325FA lost their lives, including the artist Yeison Jiménez. We express our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, and followers."

Mourning Declared

Shortly after the news broke, officials in Boyacá released a formal statement confirming the declaration of mourning:

"The Government of Boyacá, led by Governor Carlos Amaya, and on behalf of the people of Boyacá, mourns the tragic air accident that claimed the life of the renowned singer Yeison Jiménez, one of the most representative figures of Colombian popular music."

A departmental mourning period was declared. The government extended its support to the families, loved ones, and fans of the victims.

Haunting Interview Before the Crash

Just three weeks before the crash, Jiménez appeared on the show "Se Dice de Mí," which aired on Caracol TV on December 21, 2025. During the interview, he spoke about a series of disturbing dreams that had left him unsettled:

"In one of the dreams, I dreamed that we had died and that we were on the news. And it was the third time I had dreamed about it. God gave me three signs and I didn't understand them."

Jiménez also shared that in the dream, he warned the pilot to inspect the aircraft, but the pilot told him the issue had already been fixed.

In the same interview, Jiménez also shared that he had recently gone through a real emergency landing on the same plane, just 10 days before his son was born.

Following his devastating death, People magazine reported that Jiménez is survived by his wife and three children.

The tragedy has drawn parallels to another devastating incident in the United States.

As previously reported, a private plane crashed and burst into flames near Statesville, North Carolina, on Thursday, December 18, 2025, killing all seven people on board. Witnesses and aviation experts spoke about what may have gone wrong, as tributes poured in for the family at the center of the tragedy.

Victims Identified as Investigators Examine Flight Path and Weather

Among the seven victims were four members of one family: retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, and their two children, Emma, 14, and Ryder, 5. The other victims were Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol released the names on Friday, December 19.

The jet, a Cessna C550, took off from Statesville Regional Airport, located about 45 miles north of Charlotte. Weather conditions at the time included drizzle and low cloud cover. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff while attempting to return to the runway.

The aircraft was registered to a company operated by Biffle, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. He was also rated to fly helicopters, as well as single- and multi-engine planes. It was not immediately clear if he was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash.

Video Shows Jet's Final Seconds Before Explosion

Footage showed the private jet crashing into a field and erupting in a massive fireball just moments after takeoff. Captured by a nearby security camera and published by KSLA News 12, the video documented the aircraft’s final seconds before impact.

In the clip, the jet hit the ground and exploded, sending flames surging across the grass and thick black smoke rising into the sky. The flames reached within yards of nearby vehicles and buildings.

The camera, positioned in a parking lot close to the crash site, captured the full scale of the explosion, from impact to the rising plume of smoke.

The footage spread quickly online, and the contents matched several eyewitness reports describing a low-flying aircraft, a violent impact, and a fast-moving fire.

Witnesses Described the Crash

Residents near Statesville Regional Airport were left reeling as the jet plunged from the sky, trailing smoke and flames, before smashing into the ground with terrifying force.

At Lakewood Golf Club, which borders the airport, golfers watched in horror as the aircraft roared overhead and debris rained down across the course. "We were like, 'Oh my gosh! That's way too low,'" said Joshua Green. "It was scary."

Nearby on Airport Road, James Jones heard sirens and stepped outside to a chaotic scene. Thick black smoke was rising fast. "At first it was just a flame, then black smoke," he noted. "I thought it was a house because there are residences on that side, too."

Across from the airport, Alex Etman described the crash as deeply unsettling, especially given how normal the skies had always felt. "We are pretty close," he recalled.

He added the crash felt "spooky" close to home. His neighborhood regularly saw planes overhead, particularly after NASCAR races, yet nothing had ever seemed out of the ordinary. The sudden tragedy, he noted, shattered that sense of normalcy.

Meanwhile, Michael Wingo had been standing on his porch with his dog, completely unaware that tragedy was about to unfold just across the field. "I looked over and saw it. When it exploded, I could feel the heat from here," he shared.

The blast prompted him to call 911. He later said the possibility that the plane could have struck his house, had it approached from a different angle, left him deeply shaken.

Aviation Expert Suggests Engine Trouble Could Be a Factor

Aviation expert Greg Feith, a former senior air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), told NBC that early flight data points to engine trouble. He explained that while pilots can land with one engine, a severe failure may lead to total loss of control.

"In the flight path, it looks like they're trying to fly a normalized pattern to get back to the runway that they took off on rather than taking a 200-degree turn and land opposite direction," Feith said. "Land slightly downwind if you need to, but get the airplane on the ground under control and that's the key."

Feith added that investigators will examine the flight's timeline, crew response, and the aircraft's maintenance history to determine what went wrong.

Tributes From the Racing World and Beyond Remember Greg Biffle and Family

As investigators searched for answers, heartbreak rippled across the racing community and beyond. Tributes poured in for Greg's family from those who knew the family both professionally and personally.

Garrett Mitchell, a close friend of the Biffles, revealed on Facebook that the family had been on their way to visit him when the tragedy occurred. He called the loss devastating.

Over X, North Carolina Congressman Tim Moore praised Biffle not only for his prowess on the track but for his efforts off it, highlighting his support for local recovery after Hurricane Helene.

On the same platform, fellow NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer described Biffle as a skilled racer, a generous individual, and a devoted family man.

In an official statement, NASCAR honored Biffle as a champion across multiple racing series, a respected figure in the sport, and a man who had given back through service and disaster relief. The organization extended its condolences to all families affected.