San Carlos de Bariloche – El Bolsón – Comodoro Rivadavia – Río Gallegos

On August 7, 1977 at 04:30 PM, San Carlos de Bariloche – El Bolsón – Comodoro Rivadavia – Río Gallegos experienced a crash involving De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, operated by Líneas Aéreas del Estado - LADE, with the event recorded near El Bolsón Río Negro.

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.

6 people were known to be on board, 6 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 2, passenger fatalities: 2, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The twin engine airplane departed San Carlos de Bariloche Airport at 1534LT on a flight to Río Gallegos with intermediate stops in El Bolsón and Comodoro Rivadavia. It was carrying a crew of four and two passengers, Mr. Ulderico Carnaghi, Governor of the Santa Cruz Province and his wife who just attended the 7th Snow Festival in san Carlos de Bariloche and were flying back to Patagonia. While descending to El Bolsón Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Paleta located 18 km north of El Bolsón. The wreckage was found four days later at an altitude of 1,995 meters. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed. Crew: Juan Carlos García, pilot, Jorge Manuel Alvarez, copilot, José Medina, mechanic, Oscar M. Lazo, steward. Passengers: Mr. & Mrs. Ulderico Carnaghi.

Aircraft reference details include registration T-87, MSN 230, year of manufacture 1969.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -41.9818°, -71.5265°.