What happened
On February 13, 2024, at 23:18 UTC, a scheduled commercial flight operated by Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A. encountered a technical issue shortly after departure. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-8BK registered as LV-FRQ, was performing its initial climb from Luis Candelaria International Airport in Bariloche, Río Negro.
During the ascent phase, the aircraft experienced a loss of cabin pressure. In response to the depressurization, the flight crew declared an emergency. The pilots subsequently diverted the flight and successfully performed an emergency landing at Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Neuquén. There were no reported injuries to the crew or passengers, and no visible damage to the aircraft was observed following the landing.
The investigation
The preliminary investigation focused on the sequence of events following the loss of pressure during the climb. The JST examined the flight path from Bariloche to the diversion point in Neuquén and the operational response of the crew. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was operating a regular commercial service with 176 total occupants (6 crew members and 170 passengers) at the time of the incident.