What happened
During a morning departure from Río Grande-Almirante Hermes José Quijada Airport, an aircraft engaged in a glaciology exploration mission over Antarctica struck the side of Mt Barnard on Livingston Island. Although weather conditions were reported as relatively favorable at the time, contact with the crew was severed at 1245LT. Following the loss of communication, search and rescue operations were launched to locate the missing flight.
The wreckage of the aircraft, which carried the dual registration 0644 and 2-P-103, was not discovered until September 25, eight days after the disappearance. The crash resulted in 11 fatalities, with no survivors among the crew or the passenger.
Findings
Investigations into the accident concluded that the primary factor leading to the disaster was controlled flight into terrain.