What happened
On a flight from Puerto Montt-El Tepual Airport to La Junta, a single-engine aircraft departed at 13:15 local time. The flight was carrying a total of ten people, consisting of the pilot and nine passengers. During the journey, the pilot communicated with air traffic control to provide an estimated arrival time of 14:25 local time.
Shortly after this communication, the aircraft encountered instrument meteorological conditions while attempting to operate under visual flight rules. During this phase of flight, the aircraft struck trees and crashed within a forested region on Mt Estero Yको. Search efforts located the wreckage on June 11, four days after the incident, at an elevation of 3,300 feet, approximately 18 km west of the La Junta Airport.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating under VFR mode in IMC conditions at the time of the impact.
- The crash resulted in one fatality (the pilot) and 9 survivors (the passengers).