This archive report was first published on 10 December 2019.
On December 9, 2019, a Chilean transport plane bound for Antarctica on a maintenance mission went missing, sparking a search and rescue operation.
The C-130 Hercules, carrying 38 people, including 17 crew members and 21 passengers, was flying to Base Antarctica Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva, a key Chilean outpost on King George Island, off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
According to the Chilean Air Force, the plane left the Chabunco Air Base in Punta Arenas, near Chile's southern tip, at 4:55 p.m. and lost radio contact at 6:13 p.m.
President Sebastian Piñera of Chile expressed his concern over the plane's disappearance, stating that a search and rescue mission had begun.
The plane was transporting crew members to inspect a floating pipeline that helps keep the base powered.
Gen. Eduardo Mosqueira, an air force commander, suggested that the plane may have attempted to land somewhere.
Chilean military aircraft were dispatched to search for the missing plane, which would have been about 450 miles into a journey of about 770 miles when contact was lost.
The Drake Passage, where the plane was likely located, is known for its harsh weather conditions, including frigid temperatures and powerful storms.
