SANTIAGO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Chilean Air Force reported Monday that it lost track of a plane with 38 people on board.

File photo by Chilean airforce

The aircraft was en route from the southern city of Punta Arenas to Antarctica with 17 crew members and 21 passengers aborad, it said.

The Hercules C130 aircraft took off at 4:55 p.m. local time (1955 GMT) and  lost radio contact at 6:13 p.m. local time (2113 GMT), the air force said in a press release.