Crash in the Andes documentary: release date of Channel 5 miniseries - what was the Andes flight disaster?

Channel 5 documentary series Crash in the Andes follows the true events of the Andes Flight Disaster in 1972, in which dozens of plane passengers had to fight for their lives when their flight crashed into a mountain.

The series follows the event, with the testimony of those who survived, from the fateful crash, through the brutal fight for survival of those who were not immediately killed, the terrible decision of whether to starve to death or eat the bodies of their friends and loved ones, to the eventual rescue of of the passengers two months later. 

The story of survival was dramatised this year in the Spanish language Netflix film Society of the Snow, which was released in the UK last week.

What was the Andes flight disaster?

The Andes flight disaster occurred in October 1972 when Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 carrying 45 people (five crew and 40 passengers including a Uruguayan rugby team) was travelling from Uruguay to Chile when it crashed into the Andes mountains, at a height of 11,000 ft.

Several of the passengers were killed immediately, others died in the hours and days following the crash from their wounds and exposure to the elements. Those who were not killed in the crash faced starvation, inhospitable temperatures and conditions, and a desperate fight for survival.

Soon the passengers faced death from starvation as the crash site showed no signs of vegetation or wildlife. At first they resorted to trying to eat leather from belts, handbags and shoes, but eventually had to face the prospect of cannibalism.

The survivors made a pact that if any of them were to die, the others had permission to eat their body to increase their own survival chances. Many of the passengers were strong Catholics and believed that cannibalism was a mortal sin, but eventually came to see it as the only alternative to death from starvation. In the end, every person who survived the aftermath of the crash had resorted to cannibalism.

Weeks after the crash, two of the passengers embarked on a 10 day hike to find help, travelling without proper equipment. They were successful in finding outside help, and a rescue team travelled to the crash site to save the remaining survivors. 

Of the 45 people on the flight, 16 survived the crash and its aftermath, and of those, 14 are still alive today, more than 40 years later. One survivor died from cancer in 2015, aged 79, another died in 2023, aged 75. All of the survivors are now in their 70s or older. 

When is Crash in the Andes on Channel 5?

This is the episode release schedule for Crash in the Andes:

• Episode one: Terror at 30,000 Feet - Tuesday 9 January, 10pm, Channel 5 
• Episode two: Fight to Survive - Wednesday 10 January, 10pm, Channel 5
• Episode three: Escape & Rescue - Thursday 11 January, 10pm, Channel 5

All episodes will be available to watch online on My5 after they have first aired.

Are there other documentaries about the Andes flight disaster?

The 2009 Storyville feature length documentary, Stranded: The Andes Plane Crash Survivors, presented by Terrence Howard, features interviews with some of the survivors, 30 years on. It is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.

Two major drama films have about the crash and its aftermath have been made. The English language film Alive, released in 1993, is available to stream on Paramount+, or to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, and the Sky Store. Society of the Snow, a Spanish-language film, was released on Netflix on January 4.