More than 63 years after a Chilean Air Force B-26 bomber disappeared, hikers may have uncovered its wreckage on Cerro Moreno, in the Antofagasta region. The find includes corroded fuselage fragments, oval window frames, and sun-damaged fabric, consistent with a military aircraft.
The Douglas B-26 Invader, tail number 838, vanished during a training flight on May 10, 1962, with three crew members on board: Lieutenant Mario Sepúlveda Zúñiga, Second Lieutenant Gracián Figueroa Navarrete, and Second Lieutenant Pedro Gutiérrez Araya. The plane was last seen flying over an area now nicknamed the “Cerro Moreno Triangle”, known for a history of mysterious aerial disappearances.
The discovery was made by a group of seven hikers, inspired by a book on local aviation disappearances. After trekking over 19 kilometres of rugged, high-altitude terrain inaccessible to vehicles, they encountered what appear to be aircraft parts, consistent with military design due to thick metal, rivets, and distinctive structures.
Hiker Mauro Gómez said earlier that rainfall may have buried the wreckage, which surfaces intermittently. The group left the remains undisturbed and reported the findings, which may finally offer closure to one of Chile’s longstanding aviation mysteries.