Preliminary Report: Piper PA-31 Crash in Chile's Aysén Region

Incident Overview and Location On August 9, 2024, at 10:36 local time, a Piper PA-31 Navajo aircraft crashed into the slope of a hill in the Las Horquetas sector of Cerro Castillo National Park, located in the Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region of Chile. The accident site was situated at coordinates 45°59'43.9'' South and 72°01'02.0'' West, approximately 45 kilometers southwest of the city of Coyhaique. The wreckage was discovered at an elevation of 3,262 feet (994.2 meters) above sea level, facing a southwest direction of 210 degrees. The aircraft was destroyed and burned as a result of the impact and subsequent fire. All seven occupants on board, consisting of one pilot and six passengers, were killed in the accident. The investigation was conducted by the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13 and Chilean regulations, with the primary objective of accident prevention.