 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 / 35.986000°S 71.126000°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 |
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]
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
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Accident description for CC-CLDP at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 8 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Don Mackay (5 February 2015). "Football team's plane wreck found in Chile after more than 50 years". The Mirror. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ "26 Feared Dead In Air Crash". The Times. London, England. 5 April 1961. p. 9.
- ^ Anthony Esposito (9 February 2015). "Chilean mountaineers find plane lost in Andes over 53 years ago". Reuters. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ "El accidente del Douglas DC-3 LAN 210 (equipo Green Cross)". 13 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ ABC.net: "Chile: Plane carrying Green Cross football players found in Andes 53 years after crash". Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 1961
- Aviation accidents and incidents in Chile
- Accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-3
- Aviation accidents and incidents involving professional sports teams
- Club de Deportes Green Cross
- LAN Airlines accidents and incidents
- April 1961 events in South America
- 1961 disasters in Chile