Incident Overview
On a flight from Santiago de Chile to Teniente Rodolfo Marsh-Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva Airport on King George Island, Antarctica, a four-engine aircraft went missing over the Drake Passage. The aircraft had departed Santiago de Chile at 1021 local time and landed at Punta Arenas for a technical stop at 1444 local time. It departed Punta Arenas at 1653 local time, carrying 21 passengers and 17 crew members, totaling 38 occupants.
Loss of Contact and Search Efforts
After flying approximately 390 nautical miles while at cruising altitude, radar contact was lost vertically above the Drake Passage. Search and rescue operations were initiated jointly by the Chilean, Uruguayan, and Argentine air forces, which dispatched several aircraft to the area.
Discovery of Debris
Two days after the loss of contact, debris was found floating on the water. It seems that none of the 38 occupants survived the crash.