A Chilean military aircraft disappeared from radars on Monday, the Chilean Air Force said in a statement.
"The Chilean Air Force reports that this afternoon a C-130 Hercules aircraft of the Aviation Group #10 took off at 04:55 p.m. and lost radio contact at 06:13 p.m [21:13 GMT]", the Monday release says.
The plane was carrying 38 people on board - 17 crew members and 21 passengers.
Press release Chilean Air Force (@FACh_Chile) for the disappearance of a C130 Hercules plane traveling from Punta Arenas to Antarctica.@ReutersUS @NBCNews @CBSNews @ABC @FoxNews @PIX11News @AFPespanol @AFP @AP @europapress @BBCWorld @BBCBreaking pic.twitter.com/r9rWsjmsIr
— Felipe Salfate Vega (@fsalfatev) December 10, 2019
MISSING AIRCRAFT Chilean Air Force reporting it lost contact with one of their C130 Hercules aircraft enroute from Chabunco Air Base, Chile to Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva, Antarctica. 38 people on board, 17 crew, 21 passengers. pic.twitter.com/iGK33vyKvB
— Tom Podolec Aviation (@TomPodolec) December 10, 2019
Later in the day, the Navy confirmed the plane had crashed.
The aircraft was travelling from Chabunco Air Base in the city of Punta Arenas in southern Chile to the President Eduardo Frei Montalva Antarctica Air Base. It was transporting personnel to operate an oil pipeline supplying fuel to the base.
Aire force reports this is the last point of contact of the missing military plane in southern Chile to Antarctica pic.twitter.com/m5dr7fIi4U
— Edo / えど (@edowoo) December 10, 2019
