Salmon workers feared dead with airplane disappearance
A shock to hear of the disappearance of Patagonia Airlines Cesna Grand Caravan, the most modern and technologically equipped airplane available for passengers who must frequently travel from Puerto Montt to the remote locations of Chaitén, La Junta, Melinka, and other destinations with airstrips suitable only for small aircraft. Three employees of Patagonia Salmon Farming, a sister company of the airline were aboard the airplane as usual, heading back to work following their time off in Puerto Montt. The pilot Nelson Bahamondes, 60 years old and with 40 years of pilot experience and 16,000 flight hours in the Region took off from the Puerto Montt Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM, with an ETA of 2:30 PM in La Junta. By 3:30 PM there was no sign of the airplane on radar or radio. Search efforts by land, air and sea will continue as weather and daylight hours permit.
