The Expeditions

Various members among the survivors went on a total of about 10 expeditions, most were in the quest to find the missing tail. This was for two reasons, one was they thought there was a possibility that their friends who fell out over the mountain could be living in the wreckage, and two, they wanted to get to the batteries. The only surviving crew member, Carlos Roque, the mechanic, told them that if they had the batteries contained in the tail, they could run the plane's radio and call for help. The first expedition ended quick, the exeditionaries were ill prepared and under nourished, the second took place after they had began to use the bodies of the dead, and Daniel Maspons, Numa Turcatti, and Gustavo Zerbino ventured up the mountain and found the 6 bodies of the passengers and crew who had fallen out the back of the plane, and the wreckage of the left wing, but they could not see the tail anywhere. The next few expeditions were to test the survivors ability to be an expeditionary, to look for the tail. Canessa, Parrado and Vizintin eventually found the tail ( Turcatti was supposed to join them but took a turn for the worse with a leg infection that would soon kill him ) to the east of the fuselage, 500 feet down the valley, after a three hour hike. They found the batteries but found they were too heavy to transport back to the fuselage. They returned and brought the radio and Roy Harley down to hook it up, but it did not work, it turned out that the transmitter required 115 volts AC, normally supplied by an inverter, the batteries were 24 volts DC.

EXPEDITIONS

DATE CLIMBERS PURPOSE STATUS

October 17 Canessa, Páez, Fito Strauch, Turcatti To find the tail; climbing up the mountain to the southeast Failed; nothing was found.

October 24 Maspons, Turcatti, Zerbino. To find the tail; up the mountain to the southeast Found wreckage of the wings, engines, and other pieces of the Fairchild; in addition 6 bodies were found. The tail was nowhere to be seen

? Francois, Inciarte Trial expedition; up the mountain to the southeast They climbed 300 feet up the mountain and returned

? Algorta, Turcatti Trial expedition; up the mountain to the southeast They climbed as far as the wing, and returned.

November 5 Harley, Páez, Vizintin Trial expedition; down the valley to the east. Found pieces of the tail, and galley.

November 17 Canessa, Parrado, Vizintin To find the tail; down the valley to the east. Found the tail; the batteries were to heavy to bring down, so they returned to get Harley and the radio.

November 24 Canessa, Harley, Parrado, Vizintin Return to the tail to hook up the radio The radio did not work

December 11 Canessa, Parrado, Vizintin To climb the mountains to the west into Chile. Vizintin was sent back to the plane on Dec. 15. Succeded; Canessa and Parrado reached help on December 21

December 13 Fito Strauch, Zerbino To find bodies up the mountain for food Found one body, which turned out to be Daniel Shaw, Fito's cousin, they brought it down the mountain but agreed not to use it

December 14 Algorta, Páez To find another body up the mountain. Found one, but it was getting late in the day and so they returned to the plane and went back up the next day with Fito and took some meat back to the plane. They returned to this body on last time the morning after and took what was left of the meat down to the plane.

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DATE	CLIMBERS	PURPOSE	STATUS
October 17	Canessa, Páez, Fito Strauch, Turcatti	To find the tail; climbing up the mountain to the southeast	Failed; nothing was found.
October 24	Maspons, Turcatti, Zerbino.	To find the tail; up the mountain to the southeast	Found wreckage of the wings, engines, and other pieces of the Fairchild; in addition 6 bodies were found. The tail was nowhere to be seen
?	Francois, Inciarte	Trial expedition; up the mountain to the southeast	They climbed 300 feet up the mountain and returned
?	Algorta, Turcatti	Trial expedition; up the mountain to the southeast	They climbed as far as the wing, and returned.
November 5	Harley, Páez, Vizintin	Trial expedition; down the valley to the east.	Found pieces of the tail, and galley.
November 17	Canessa, Parrado, Vizintin	To find the tail; down the valley to the east.	Found the tail; the batteries were to heavy to bring down, so they returned to get Harley and the radio.
November 24	Canessa, Harley, Parrado, Vizintin	Return to the tail to hook up the radio	The radio did not work
December 11	Canessa, Parrado, Vizintin	To climb the mountains to the west into Chile. Vizintin was sent back to the plane on Dec. 15.	Succeded; Canessa and Parrado reached help on December 21
December 13	Fito Strauch, Zerbino	To find bodies up the mountain for food	Found one body, which turned out to be Daniel Shaw, Fito's cousin, they brought it down the mountain but agreed not to use it
December 14	Algorta, Páez	To find another body up the mountain.	Found one, but it was getting late in the day and so they returned to the plane and went back up the next day with Fito and took some meat back to the plane. They returned to this body on last time the morning after and took what was left of the meat down to the plane.