Incident
While cruising at an altitude of 5,250 meters, the propeller on the left engine oversped to 3,700 revolutions per minute and was subsequently feathered. The crew decided to divert to the nearest airport but later found it necessary to attempt an emergency landing.
Emergency Landing
The aircraft performed a wheels-up landing on the Laguna Brava salt lake at an altitude of 4,192 meters. All occupants evacuated the aircraft safely, and the airplane was left at the site. The flight was a cargo operation from Antofagasta, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, transporting Arabian race horses.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the forced landing with the landing gear retracted on an inadequate site was due to technical faults in the No.1 engine, the exact nature of which could not be determined.