Narrative:
A Douglas DC-3C passenger plane, operated by LAN Chile, was destroyed when it impacted a mountainside near Linares, Chile.
LAN Flight 621 was a domestic passenger flight from Castro to Santiago with en route stops at Puerto Montt, Osorno and Temuco.
On board the flight were members of the Green Cross football team.
The DC-3 took off from Temuco at 18:30 hours local time for the last leg of the flight, following Airway 45 and 40 at an altitude of 8500 feet. Estimated flying time was 2 hours and 30 minutes. While en route the flight was instructed to climb to 9500 feet because of other traffic at 8500 feet. At 19:10 the crew requested a descent to 9000 feet because of ice formation on the wings.
The controller didn't authorize the descent because of conflicting traffic (LAN flight 205) on Airway 4. The controller later cleared the flight to turn back on Airway 45 and then descend to 6500 feet on the same Airway, pass over Curico and to continue on Airway 40 to the Santo Domingo beacon. There was no more radio contact with the flight.
After seven days of search operations, the wreckage was found on April 10. The airplane had impacted Cerro La Gotera, a mountain located in a sector of Sierra de las Ánimas, and east-northeast of a hill named Lástimas del Pejerrey. The aircraft was flying in a south-westerly direction, impacting 50 m below the summit of the mountain, at an elevation of about 3500 m (11480 feet). The wreckage slid down about 14 meters before coming to rest.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The aircraft crashed on La Gotera Hill in the Lastima-Pejerrey Range. From the wreckage's position it was determined that the flight was on a south-west heading, although owing to the aircraft's being entirely destroyed and burnt out it was not possible to state its speed or altitude, or whether the left engine had failed. At impact it appeared that the right engine was functioning normally. It was not possible to determine the cause of the accident from the navigation instruments or the wreckage."
accident date: 03-04-1961
type: Douglas DC-3C
registration: CC-CLDP
accident date: 03-04-1961
type: Douglas DC-3C
registration: CC-CLDP
accident date: 03-04-1961
type: Douglas DC-3
registration: CC-CLD-P210
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 3 April 1961 |
| Time: | 19:45 |
| Type: |  Douglas DC-3C |
| Operator: | LAN Chile |
| Registration: | CC-CLDP |
| MSN: | 9716 |
| First flight: | 1943 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 18299 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 20 / Occupants: 20 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 24 / Occupants: 24 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 44 km (27.5 mls) ESE of Linares ( Chile)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 3500 m (11483 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Temuco Maquehue Airport (PZS/SCTC), Chile |
| Santiago-Los Cerrillos Airport (ULC/SCTI), Chile | |
| Flightnumber: | 621 |
A Douglas DC-3C passenger plane, operated by LAN Chile, was destroyed when it impacted a mountainside near Linares, Chile.
LAN Flight 621 was a domestic passenger flight from Castro to Santiago with en route stops at Puerto Montt, Osorno and Temuco.
On board the flight were members of the Green Cross football team.
The DC-3 took off from Temuco at 18:30 hours local time for the last leg of the flight, following Airway 45 and 40 at an altitude of 8500 feet. Estimated flying time was 2 hours and 30 minutes. While en route the flight was instructed to climb to 9500 feet because of other traffic at 8500 feet. At 19:10 the crew requested a descent to 9000 feet because of ice formation on the wings.
The controller didn't authorize the descent because of conflicting traffic (LAN flight 205) on Airway 4. The controller later cleared the flight to turn back on Airway 45 and then descend to 6500 feet on the same Airway, pass over Curico and to continue on Airway 40 to the Santo Domingo beacon. There was no more radio contact with the flight.
After seven days of search operations, the wreckage was found on April 10. The airplane had impacted Cerro La Gotera, a mountain located in a sector of Sierra de las Ánimas, and east-northeast of a hill named Lástimas del Pejerrey. The aircraft was flying in a south-westerly direction, impacting 50 m below the summit of the mountain, at an elevation of about 3500 m (11480 feet). The wreckage slid down about 14 meters before coming to rest.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The aircraft crashed on La Gotera Hill in the Lastima-Pejerrey Range. From the wreckage's position it was determined that the flight was on a south-west heading, although owing to the aircraft's being entirely destroyed and burnt out it was not possible to state its speed or altitude, or whether the left engine had failed. At impact it appeared that the right engine was functioning normally. It was not possible to determine the cause of the accident from the navigation instruments or the wreckage."
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» El accidente del Douglas DC-3 LAN 210 (equipo Green Cross)Photos
accident date: 03-04-1961
type: Douglas DC-3C
registration: CC-CLDP
accident date: 03-04-1961
type: Douglas DC-3C
registration: CC-CLDP
accident date: 03-04-1961
type: Douglas DC-3
registration: CC-CLD-P210
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Temuco Maquehue Airport to Santiago-Los Cerrillos Airport as the crow flies is 610 km (381 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Temuco Maquehue Airport to Santiago-Los Cerrillos Airport as the crow flies is 610 km (381 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
languages: 
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Douglas DC-3
- ca 13.000 built
- 3532nd loss
- 1372nd fatal accident
- 79th worst accident (at the time)
- 132nd worst accident (currently)
Chile- The worst accident (at the time)
- 5th worst accident (currently)
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