[Internacional] Amazon Sky AN26 impacted Andes mountain

An Amazon Sky Antonov AN-26, registration OB-1887-P performing a freight flight from Lima to Cusco Malvinas (Peru) with 4 crew, had departed Lima at 10:09L (15:09Z) and was enroute about 32 minutes into the 78 minutes flight when radio contact with the aircraft was lost. Last radar contact showed the aircraft 110nm east of Lima at FL195. When the aircraft did not arrive at the destination, located about 245nm east of Lima, at 11:27L, a search for the aircraft was initiated, the aircraft was declared missing after 14:00L when the aircraft carrying 4 hours of fuel would have exhausted fuel but did not turn up at any airport. Other aircraft overflying the region of last radar contact reported hearing an ELT signal.

Multiple residents of Peru's Yauyos Cochas province (Andes mountains) near the village of Tomas about 80nm east of Lima reported a plane with the properties similiar of the AN-26 had impacted a mountain in their neighbourhood at about 11:00L (16:00Z) and exploded, the aircraft had burned down, there were no signs of survivors and they could even see two bodies from the distance.

Peru's Air Force is about to dispatch a helicopter to the presumed crash site early Dec 18th, due to weather the helicopter hadn't been able to reach the site on Dec 17th, the search was interrupted over night.

The Andes Mountains rise up to 6,793 meters/22,290 feet in Peru north and south of Lima, east of Lima the highest mountains rise up to 5500 meters/18,040 feet.


http://avherald.com/h?article=45ab2c8c&opt=0