LAN-Chile Flight 621 crashed in the Andes on 3 April 1961. All twenty-four people on board were killed,[1] including eight professional footballers and two members of the coaching staff from CD Green Cross.[2] It was Chile's worst ever aviation disaster at the time.[1]
 CC-CLDP, the aircraft involved in the accident. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 April 1961 |
| Summary | Undetermined |
| Site | La Gotera Hill, Chile 35°59′09.6″S 71°07′33.6″W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-3 |
| Operator | LAN Chile |
| Registration | CC-CLDP |
| Flight origin | Temuco |
| Destination | Santiago |
| Passengers | 20 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 24 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Aircraft
The accident aircraft was a Douglas DC-3, registration CC-CLDP. It had been manufactured in 1943 as a military Douglas C-47A, manufacturer's serial number 9716. At the time of the accident, it had accumulated 18,300 hours.[1]
Accident
The Douglas DC-3 airliner was one of two aircraft used to transport the football team home after an away game.[2] It was on a domestic flight from Castro to Santiago when it disappeared in the Andes. The last radio message reported ice covering the wings and propellers.[3]
The tail of the aircraft and a few human remains were found on 10 April 1961. Some official accounts indicate the wreckage was located on La Gotera Hill in the Lastima-Pejerreymin Range; all on board had been assumed killed.[1][4] Other contemporary accounts identify the crash site as Cerro Lastimas.[5]
In February 2015 the aircraft's fuselage was discovered after more than 50 years in the Chilean Andes. A member of the expedition that found the wreckage was quoted as saying "So this story is getting a rewrite since this is not where original accounts said."[2][6] While the climbers declined to provide a detailed position of their find, it is consistent with the terrain and altitude of Cerro Lastimas.
Notable victims
- Eliseo Mouriño[2]
- Berty Gonzalez[2]
See also
References
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