5 fatalities

Aircraft Strikes Mt Tupungato on Delivery Flight, Five Killed (N8040Y)

Mt Tupungato, ArgentinaFlight

On August 4, 1979, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration N8040Y) operated by Aircraft Line Maintenance was involved in an aviation accident near Mt Tupungato, Argentina in flight. 5 people were killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft en route from Buenos Aires to Miami struck Mt Tupungato at 5,000 meters cruising altitude, killing all five occupants. Wreckage was found two years later by a Chilean rescue team.

Accident

According to the investigation report, an aircraft on a delivery flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Miami, Florida, via Santiago, Chile, and Panama City, Panama, struck the slope of Mount Tupungato. The accident occurred while the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 5,000 meters. Mount Tupungato, located southwest of Mendoza, Argentina, has a height of 6,750 meters.

Aftermath

The aircraft was destroyed upon impact. All five occupants on board were killed. The wreckage was discovered two years later by a Chilean rescue team. The aircraft had been recently purchased by a company based in Miami.

Investigation

The investigation did not provide a probable cause for the accident. No further details about the aircraft type, registration, or operator were disclosed in the source material.