Arauca – Antofagasta

On February 3, 1931 at 04:40 PM, Arauca – Antofagasta experienced a crash involving Fairchild FC-2, operated by Panagra - Pan American-Grace Airways, with the event recorded near Caleta Buena Región de Tarapacá.

The flight was categorized as postal (mail) and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

2 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The aircraft was performing a mail flight from Arauca to Antofagasta, carrying two crew members and eight mail bags. En route, in unclear circumstances, the airplane crashed into the sea off the beach of Piedra de las Montijitas, about 11 km north of Caleta Buena. Both crew members were uninjured and rescued by fishermen. The aircraft, written off, was later recovered and parked on a pier. Six mail bags were recovered. Crew: C. Thompson, pilot, Luis Morales, pilot.

Aircraft reference details include registration NC8026, MSN 168, year of manufacture 1928.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -19.8808°, -70.1317°.