Bulgarian scientists have uncovered the remains of an Argentine Air Force aircraft that crashed in 1976 near Bernard Point on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands.
The finding came after researchers landed at Cape Bernard Point aboard the Bulgarian research vessel St. St. Cyril and Methodius, the ship’s commander, Captain 2nd Rank Radko Muevski, said.
This is the second time members of the Bulgarian Antarctic expedition have found wreckage from the same aircraft. The first find came in early 2024, with an expedition that found metal aircraft debris near False Bay and Bernard Point.
The aircraft, operated by the Argentine Air Force, had been conducting reconnaissance flights to assess conditions for scientific activity and naval navigation in the region when it crashed in 1976.
The newly identified wreckage was found by physicist Oleg Vassilev after identifying debris during a drone survey flight, which were later moved aboard the research vessel.
On board the ship, a ceremony honouring the Argentine Navy and Air Force personnel who lost their lives in the crash took place. Those recovered components will be taken to the Argentine naval base Mar del Plata.
During the ceremony, Lieutenant Agustin Vieira da Costa expressed gratitude on behalf of the Argentine Navy, praising the Bulgarian crew’s actions as a gesture of respect, cooperation, and friendship.
The research vessel St. St. Cyril and Methodius (NIK 421) departed Varna for Antarctica on November 7 and reached Mar del Plata on December 13, 2025, after a month-long Atlantic crossing.
The ship continues to support Bulgaria’s Antarctic missions, including operations at the Bulgarian Antarctic base St. Kliment Ohridski on Livingston Island.
Sources : BTA
