Don Torcuato – Punta del Este

On September 28, 2005 at 01:20 PM, Don Torcuato – Punta del Este experienced a crash involving Piper PA-46 (Malibu/Meridian/Mirage/Matrix/M-Class), operated by Private Argentinian, with the event recorded near Buenos Aires Buenos Aires City.

The flight was categorized as private and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 5 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 4, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The single engine aircraft departed Don Torcuato Airport on a private flight to Punta del Este, Uruguay, carrying four passengers and one pilot. About 15 minutes into the flight, while cruising in good weather conditions, the pilot informed ATC about engine problems and elected to divert to Buenos Aires-Aeroparque-Jorge Newbury Airport. Unable to maintain a safe altitude, he eventually ditched the aircraft in the Río de la Plata, about 28 km northeast of Buenos Aires. Quickly on site, rescuers were able to evacuate all five occupants who were uninjured while the aircraft was lost.

Aircraft reference details include registration LV-WTU, MSN 46-36073, year of manufacture 1996.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -34.6048°, -58.3727°.