Authorities Say It Is Likely The C-130 Went Down

A Chilean Air Force C-130 with 38 people on board is presumed to have gone down en route to Antarctica, according to FACh officials.

CNN reports that Gen. Francisco Torres said in a televised press conference that the plane "is presumed to have crashed, given that the amount of fuel and the plane's autonomy had already run out. Given that, it is already assumed that the plane has crashed."

The plane departed from the Chilean capital of Santiago at 4:55 p.m. and lost radio contact at 6:13 p.m. while heading from the Chabunco Air Base in the city of Punta Arenas, to the President Eduardo Frei Montalva Antarctic Air Base, according to an FACh news release.

The aircraft was carrying out logistical support tasks, transferring personnel for the revision of the floating fuel supply pipeline of the Base, and for carrying out anticorrosive treatment of national facilities in the area.

Of the 38 people on board, 17 were crew members and 21 were passengers, according to the release.

A multidisciplinary search and rescue team was deployed along the route of flight, but no further information is available at this time.

(Map provided with FACh news release)

FMI: News release
CNN