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(Friday, October 13, 1972, 3:34 p.m. Argentina Time) — Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 carrying 45 people, including the “Old Christians” rugby team flying from Montevideo to Santiago, crashed today in the Andes mountains; 16 survivors would resort to feeding off the remains of some of the dead in order to stay alive until they were rescued more than two months later.
While crossing the Andes during poor weather, the inexperienced co-pilot, Lieutenant-Colonel Dante Héctor Lagurara, was at the controls of the Fairchild FH-227D. He mistakenly believed the aircraft had reached Curicó where the flight would turn to descend into Pudahuel Airport.
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He failed to notice that instrument readings indicated he was still 60–70 km (37–43 mi) from Curicó. He began descending and the aircraft struck a mountain, shearing off both wings and the tail section. The remaining portion of the fuselage slid down a glacier at an estimated 350 km/h (220 mph) and descended about 725 meters (2,379 ft) before crashing into ice and snow.
The flight was carrying 45 passengers and crew, including 19 members of the Old Christians Club rugby union team, along with their families, supporters, and friends. Three crew members and nine passengers died immediately; several more died soon afterward due to the frigid temperatures and the severity of their injuries.
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The wreck was located at an elevation of 3,570 meters (11,710 ft) in the remote Andes of far western Argentina, just east of the border with Chile. Authorities flew over the crash site several times during the following days, searching for the aircraft, but could not see the white fuselage against the snow. Search efforts were canceled after eight days.
During the following 72 days, the survivors suffered extreme hardships, including exposure, starvation, and an avalanche, which led to the death of a further 13 passengers.
The remaining passengers resorted to anthropophagy.
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As the weather improved with the arrival of spring, two survivors, Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa climbed a 4,650-metre (15,260 ft) mountain peak without gear and hiked for 10 days into Chile to seek help, traveling 38 miles (61 km).
On Dec. 23, 1972, two months after the crash, the last of the 16 survivors were rescued.
The news of their miraculous survival drew worldwide headlines that grew into a media circus.
