Santiago – Mendoza – Buenos Aires

On July 16, 1932 at 08:00 AM, Santiago – Mendoza – Buenos Aires experienced a crash involving Ford 5, operated by Panagra - Pan American-Grace Airways, with the event recorded near El Plomo Región Metropolitana de Santiago.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

9 people were known to be on board, 9 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 6, passenger fatalities: 6, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. While cruising in bad weather conditions east of Santiago de Chile over the Andes Mountains, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low visibility due to heavy snow falls. The aircraft impacted a mountain slope and crashed near El Plomo. SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended as no trace of the aircraft nor the 9 occupants was found. Twenty months later, in March 1934, ramblers discovered the wreckage in an uninhabited area. The aircraft was named 'San José'.

Aircraft reference details include registration NC403H, MSN 5-AT-063, year of manufacture 1929.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -33.4055°, -70.5744°.