Taxpa twin-engine aircraft accident

The Taxpa twin-engine aircraft accident occurred on Friday 6.10.1972, when the Piper PA-31 Navajo on a charter flight of the Chilean air taxi company Taxpa, which was flying to Robinson Crusoe aerodrome in the Juan Fernández archipelago, plunged into the Pacific Ocean, killing its eight occupants.

Although a rescue operation was carried out, no remains from the accident have been found to date.

Accident

The aircraft, which was operating a charter flight contracted by the "Juan Fernández Fishermen's Cooperative", had taken off from Los Cerrillos airport and, according to the Taxpa company's investigation, would have made a stop at Rodelillo airport to load fuel, which would have been contaminated with water.

The last contact with the aircraft was at 13:44, when the pilot, who had inaugurated the services of the Taxpa company in 1967, reported that he was operating on a single engine, in addition to having problems with the wind, and asked for urgent help.

Twin-engine aircraft of the time flew the route between the mainland and the archipelago in three hours, so it was assumed that the aircraft had come down halfway between Valparaíso and the archipelago, when it was flying at 6000 feet (1.8 km) altitude and was 180 miles (290 km) from the coast.