At the Fairchild's ceiling of 9,000 metre… : We have a very small space. The passengers felt something was wrong as they could see the peaks of the mountains very close. This is a look into a 1972 Andes plane crash that left dozens stranded in the freezing mountain range. It was now apparent that the only way out was to climb over the mountains to the west. In December 1972, a chartered aircraft carrying a Uruguayan rugby team was found 72 days after it crashed in the Andes. Now, he's written a book about his gruesome experience, which lasted for months. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And so two members of the team, dressed in only street clothes, miraculously were able to make it over the mountains and find help. Members of the expedition removing bags containing wreckage from tent, 5. It's expected that crash investigators will find severe weather led to the Stardust smashing into the side of Tupungato. The plane crash brings to mind a widely publicised disaster that followed in 1972, when a Uruguayan aircraft carrying a rugby team went down in the Andes in Argentina, near the border with Chile. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Strauch finally decided to tell his story publicly after a mountaineer discovered his jacket and wallet at the crash site years later and returned it to him. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Bustos, Chief of 2nd Infantry Regiment, 12. Following the crash, teams from England, Chile and Argentina searched the area by air and on skis, but found nothing. As you may have already assumed, the plane veered off course and mysteriously vanished. And at last, I was convinced that it was the only way to live. Civilian aviation crash investigator removing item from bag, 11. The plane, a … The plane crash brings to mind a widely publicized disaster that followed in 1972, when a Uruguayan aircraft carrying a rugby team went down in the Andes in Argentina, near the border with Chile. "Out Of The Silence: After The Crash" is a story of endurance and the spiritual awakening that came after 72 days trapped in the Andes. Disaster soon struck as the plane neared the Andes Mountains. All rights reserved. It was carrying 11 people - five crew members and six passengers. We're not going to do nothing wrong. Picture: Channel 4 Source:Supplied Surviving a deadly plane crash would be considered by many to be a miracle. On Tuesday, journalists and other members of the expedition reached base camp and were shown pieces of clothing and parts of the aeroplane that investigators hope will reveal what caused the plane to crash. The plane crashed into the Andes mountains on Friday, October 13, 1972. More or less that is what happened on August 2, 1947, during a flight from Buenos Aires to Santiago, Chile, when Star Dust crashed into Mount Tupungato in the Andes Mountains of western Argentina. We were absolutely angry. In both, the weather and environment —and, arguably, poor judgment— played a major role. Even to us, they were very small pieces of frozen meat. I want to live. As you can imagine, it has been the most awful, terrible days of my life. The army expedition team expects to take two days to get out of the mountains. "The remains of at least three people have been recovered - clothes, also remains of instruments and parts of the fuselage - which will enable the investigation into the reasons for the crash to continue. On Friday the 13th of October, 1972, a Uruguayan Air Force twin turboprop Fairchild FH-227D was flying over the Andes carrying Stella Maris College Montevideo's "Old Christians" rugby union team from Montevideo, Uruguay to play a match in Santiago, Chile. The 1972 Andes Flight Disaster By CommonLit Staff From Wikipedia 2015 The following is the true story of a Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes Mountains in 1972. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. An expedition by the Argentine army has recovered human remains and aeroplane parts from the site of a 1947 plane crash high in the Andes mountains. Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, also known as the Andes flight disaster, and in South America as Miracle in the Andes (El Milagro de los Andes) was a chartered flight carrying 45 people, including a rugby team, their friends, family and associates that crashed in the Andes on October 13, 1972.More than a quarter of the passengers died in the crash, and several more quickly succumbed to … The doomed aircraft was an Avro Lancastrian, called Stardust, operated by the now-defunct British South American Airways. And at the beginning, when I realized it was what I was going to do, my mind and my conscience was OK. And that first night was really impossible to describe. We were 29 people at the first. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Of course, the aspect of the story that has gained the most notoriety was the decision you all made that in order to survive, you would have to start eating your dead friends. Accuracy and availability may vary. Well-preserved parts of plane scattered with human bones also found ... of a plane that crashed in Chile carrying a group of football stars remained a mystery. Javier Methol, one of the 16 survivors of the so-called "Miracle of the Andes," died Thursday of cancer, another survivor of the 1972 mountainside plane crash, Daniel Fernandez, told Efe. - those first few days. We helped many, many cases, and it's really amazing that so much suffering, 47 years later, became something so positive for me and for so many people. But at the same time, he found that he had grown spiritually during his ordeal in the mountains. The flight originated in London and stopped at Buenos Aires before disappearing on its way to Santiago, Chile. A s I walked to the plane, I could see my fiancee, Soledad, waving from the airport balcony. STRAUCH: My body and my mind start expanding in the universe. They're reported to have found the wreckage scattered around a rock field high on the side of the volcano at about four-thousand-950 metres (16-thousand-500 feet). On 13 October 1972, a Uruguayan Air Force twin turboprop Fairchild FH-227D was flying over the Andes carrying the Old Christians Club rugby union team from Montevideo, Uruguay, to play a match in Santiago, Chile. The 16 eventual survivors lived for three months before their rescue on Dec. 23rd. This particular disaster is known as the Andes plane crash. An expedition by the Argentine army to the crash site in the Andes recovered the remains of what is thought to be three people, as well as various aeroplane parts and pieces of clothing. Eduardo Strauch survived the 1972 Andes plane crash of the Uruguayan rugby team. But physically, it was very difficult to get it in the first day. Copyright © 2019 NPR. An expedition by the Argentine army has recovered human remains and aeroplane parts from the site of a 1947 plane crash high in the Andes mountains. I get used to. And the snow was all over the kerosene of the engines of the plane. Fairly early on, you say that hearing your cousin Adolfo say out loud what many were thinking - that you were going to have to eat the bodies - gave you a kind of relief. I realized the power of our minds. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with him about his story of hope in his book, Out of the Silence: After the Crash. STRAUCH: Absolutely devastating - so we felt abandoned, and we felt so angry with everybody, with - even with our families, with the world, with God, with nature, with everything. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. The almost 10-week ordeal left many of the crew and passengers deceased. CHILEAN mountaineers say they have found the wreckage of a plane that crashed in the Andes 54 years ago, killing 24 people, including eight members of a professional soccer team. On October 13, 1972, a plane flying from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile, crashed in the Andes after being hit by bad weather. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. A true and awe inspiring story of survival and unrelenting hope. As you read, take notes on the key details of the story and the methods and mentalities of the men that helped them survive. According to reports, the area around the Andes Mountains was so misty that the pilot of the plane could not see ahead and slammed the plane right into the mountains that were hidden in thick mist. Eduardo Strauch joins me now from Montevideo in Uruguay. "Crash site" is licensed under . Onboard was an Uruguayan rugby team, along with friends and relatives. The plane, part of the now-defunct British South American Airways, was carrying 11 people when it crashed into the … The survivors who had found the rear of the fuselage came up with an idea to use insulation from the rear of the fuselage, copper wire, and waterproof fabric that covered the air conditioning of the plane to fashion a sleeping bag. Twelve of the 45 passengers died instantly in the crash. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. After the Plane Crash—and the Cannibalism—a Life of Hope "Every day, when I look at myself in the mirror, I thank God the same old jerk is still staring back at me," says Roberto Canessa. It came to an end on December 22, 1972, when two of the survivors of the crash hiked thirty-seven miles out of the Andes and west into Chile. STRAUCH: Yeah. 1972: A chartered flight carrying a Uruguayan rugby team to its match in Chile crashes in the high Andes, resulting in one of the most grueling survival ordeals of modern times. The expedition's advance party set up base camp at the foot of the almost six-thousand-600 metre (22-thousand feet) volcano, Tupungato. More than a quarter of the passengers died in the crash and several others quickly succumbed to cold and injury. The tales of the Donner Party and the Andes Plane Crash are both well-known examples of survival under extreme circumstances. Wide shot of mountain ridge, pan to expedition horses in foreground on top of ridge, 2. Abandoned in the unforgiving, frozen wasteland of the Andes Mountains, 22-year-old Fernando Parrado was certain he was going to die. Roberto Canessa MD Roberto Canessa is known worldwide for being one of the 16 young men of a total of 45 who survived 72 days in the Andes under extreme conditions, when the plane he and his rugby teammates were in crashed into a mountain in the middle of the snow-capped Andes Cordillera. The disappearance of the Stardust had been one of the longest-running aviation mysteries in the Andes - the mountain range that was a virtual graveyard for planes during the first half of the century. They also realized that unless they found a way to survive the freezing temperature of the nights, a trek was impossible. It took him years. Even now, 45 years after the plane crash disaster … What? Bags being emptied to reveal bits of wreckage collected for examination, 8. It was awful and long nights. On Friday 13 October 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 carrying 45 people, including a rugby union team crashes in the Andes. Twenty-nine people initially survived that crash, and their story of struggle in the mountains became the subject of books and movies, most famously "Alive." It began on October 13, 1972, when a Uruguayan Air Force plane carrying forty passengers and a crew of five went off course and crashed in the Andes. That must have been devastating. Roberto Canessa was a 19-year-old medical student travelling with his teammates from the Christian Brothers College rugby squad when their plane crashed over the Andes in October, 1972. ", SUPER CAPTION: Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Bustos, Chief of 2nd Infantry Regiment. The plane, part of the now-defunct British South American Airways, was carrying 11 people when it crashed into the face of the Tupungato volcano during a snowstorm. The 1972 Andes Flight Disaster Timeline created by Schoollad. And after almost 2 1/2 months, the 16 survivors were rescued. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Eduardo, the group of survivors quickly formed a community, sharing tasks, rotating sleeping positions so everyone would get a chance at a more comfortable spot in the wrecked plane. The story of the Andes plane crash In 1972 a Uruguayan rugby team, planned a 4 day trip from Montevideo, Uruguay to Santiago in Chile. In History. Chilean mountaineers say they have found the wreckage of a plane that crashed in the Andes 54 years ago, killing 24 people, including eight members of a professional soccer team. ARGENTINA: BODIES RECOVERED FROM 1947 ANDES CRASH SITE, Story No. Last photo of Uruguayan Flight 571 before it crashed in the Andes. After numerous days spent searching for survivors, the rescue team was forced to end the search. It was very difficult because the weather was very cold. After more than 40 years so many artifacts are still at the site. And we have no warm clothes (ph), no water. Aviation experts say the plane - a converted World War II bomber - didn't have de-icing capabilities and was unfit to travel through freezing conditions. Flight 571 was carrying up to 45 people including a Rugby team and there family and friends. And at the end - absolutely disconnected with the origin of that food. It doesn't taste anything. We have to melt snow. The plane plummeted dramatically a… STRAUCH: Yeah. The passengers included three Britons, a German woman, a Palestinian and a Swiss man. He decided his story was so important that he had to share it beyond just his family and friends. Oct 13, 1972 ... Two helicopters arrived at the site of the plane crash and escorted the 16 remaining survivors to hospitals where they were then treated for injuries such as broken bones, scurvy, altitude sickness, dehydration, frostbite and malnutrition. Eduardo Strauch survived the 1972 Andes plane crash of the Uruguayan rugby team. The reason for the journey was a rugby match. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Eduardo Strauch's book, written with Uruguayan author Mireya Soriano, is called "Out Of The Silence.". NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with him about his story of hope in his book, Out of the Silence: After the Crash. But the hard part was not over for Eduardo Strauch. Into the Mountains: The Extraordinary True Story of Survival in the Andes and its Aftermath by Pedro … Wide shot of base camp with Tupungato volcano in the background, 4. On 13 October 1972, a Uruguayan plane carrying 45 passengers crashed in the middle of the Andes mountain range. They used two helicopters specially adapted for high altitude and only had a brief window of good weather to fly to the crash site and then get out again. And when they crossed with our story, it changed their thoughts. It was 12 October 1972 and I was flying from our home … In the 1970’s, the cheapest way for a group to arrange such a flight was to charter an air force plane. And they continue living. He says reintegrating himself back into society was hard. Records indicate heavy snow fell for three days at the time the plane disappeared. 175569, XFA Tupungato, Argentina - 22 February 2000, 1. Wide shot showing box containing body remains with makeshift cross on top and mountain in background. Our minds are amazing. Andes Plane Crash Presentation by Sabrina Fazzio World Disasters, period 3 Who? The army quickly arranged the recovery mission before the end of the southern hemisphere summer and the onset of harsh weather on Tupungato. I was very young. But very fast, very quick, we realized that the only way to get out would be by doing it by ourselves. The Crash Then in January, five mountaineers climbing through ice fields on Tupungato, just east of the Argentine-Chilean border, came across the remains of the four-engine plane. We are surrounded with our friends, who died. [10] 6. the act of eating human flesh 3 “The 1972 Andes Flight Disaster” by CommonLit is a derivative of the Wikipedia article "Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571" and is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. And you didn't flinch from describing this in the book. Eduardo Strauch was one of the few passengers to live through a 1972 plane crash (above) in the Andes. On October 13, 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 went down in the Andes along the Argentine-Chilean border. But it was impossible to get the proteins from there, so we start a mental process to convince our minds that was the only way. The trip had begun the day before, when the Fairchild departed from Carrasco International Airport, but inclement mountain weather forced an overnight stop in Mendoza, Argentina. People who are lost in alcohol and drugs - the same. Once he held those items in his hands, he felt himself transported back to the mountains. Santiago and treated for altitude sickness, dehydration, frostbite, broken bones, scurvy and malnutrition. Now climbers in the Andes … We have many cases of people who - they decided to commit suicide. Can you talk a little bit about that? After some strong turbulence, one of the wings clipped a peak creating an explosion. It was really amazing just to manage my mind, my thoughts. How so? He was 79.. GARCIA-NAVARRO: At one point, you hear on the little radio that you have that the search for you all has been called off. And we can change the direction of our life if we propose to do it. Of the 45 people on the flight, only 16 survived in sub-zero temperatures. Although the two stories occurred in different centuries and on different continents, there are a few eerie similarities. More than a quarter of the passengers Among those survivors was a young architect named Eduardo Strauch, who held off writing about the tragedy until now. The bodies and wreckage remained undiscovered for decades until mountaineers stumbled upon the site last month. Unknown was the poor safety records of the company and when the pilots believed they had already passed the Andes, disaster struck. Dec 13, 2014 - A plane carrying a team of young rugby players, with family members and friends crashed in the Andes mountains on Oct 13th 1972. We have just some chocolates and biscuits for 29 people, so we start getting very weak immediately. A small Fairchild plane was chartered from Uruguay to Chile; onboard were 45 players and supporters. Various of soldiers with horses during a break from the walk to base camp, 3. More than a quarter of those on board died in the initial crash. Rarely does resilience make me think of dehydration, broken bones, scurvy, malnutrition, frostbite, and altitude sickness. So maybe a week, we try to eat the leather shoes and the leather belts. A few days ago, a three-man Argentine airforce team was able to fly to Tupungato and retrieve a few items of the aeroplane. STRAUCH: Even now, 47 years later, people - when they connect with our story, they get so many positive things for their lives. The plane went undetected for more than five decades.