Which incident did Yellowjackets draw inspiration from? Explained 

After a successful two-season run, Yellowjackets season 3 is set to premiere on Paramount+ on February 14, 2025, The first two episodes will air on the same day.

This psychological thriller is not directly based on a true story, however, the series' concept draws inspiration from the tragic Flight 571 disaster, as confirmed by Tudum.

For Yellowjackets viewers who want to learn more about the aforementioned tragedy, follow along.

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What is the "tragic 571 disaster" that inspired Yellowjackets?

One of the most infamous incidents in aviation history is the tragic story of the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force chartered flight, a four-year-old Uruguayan Air Force Fairchild FH-227D, that crash-landed in the Andes.

Flight 571, a chartered flight as revealed by Tudum was the plane carrying the Uruguayan Ruby team also known as the Old Christians Rugby Team. The plane crashed in the Andes mountain on October 13, 1972, and left 29 people stranded.

As per Aerotime, a total of 45 people had boarded the aircraft when it departed from Montevideo Airport on October 12, 1972.

A “storm front” forced the pilots to stop in Mendoza. Meanwhile, the pilots plotted a new course, south to the Pass of Planchón, so that the aircraft could fly safely across the Andes. Reportedly, the FH-227 was not built to fly higher than 6900 meters.

The next day the flight took off from the Argentinian airport to fly a U-shaped path as plotted by the pilots and descend towards Santiago. However, there was a severe error in navigation that led the pilots to believe that they had reached the path from where they could begin their descent.

Because of this navigational error, the plane crashed into the Andes, despite the best attempts to regain elevation.

The co-pilot, 41-year-old Dante Héctor Lagurara, died on October 14, 1972, because of injuries he sustained during the crash. He was in control of Flight 571 at the time of the disaster. Meanwhile, Colonel Julio César Ferradas (senior pilot) died upon impact.

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How many survived the crash?

A total of 16 passengers were rescued on December 22, 1972. The rescue team took a lot of time because of harsh weather and heavy snowfall. Most of the survivors trekked to seek help after the initial rescue operation was called off due to complexity and harsh weather.

This was not the first FH-227, powered by 1678kW Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.7 Mk 532-7 turboprop engines, that crashed. In total, 23 FH-227 aircrafts ended up crashing. The Andes incident was "the 10th FH-227 crash in 42 years" as per Aerotime.

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Yellowjackets season 3 plot: Everything we know so far

Yellowjackets season 3 which will premiere on February 14 on Paramount+, has released its trailer on January 22. In the past season, the stranded athletes merely survived their first winter in the wilderness.

The season three trailer promises a more action-filled, gory, and enthralling season. The synopsis for season 3 reads:

"In season three, as summer arrives, the Yellowjackets face a fragile victory — the brutal winter that nearly claimed them is finally behind them, but distrust in leadership and tension within the team jeopardize their chances of being rescued."

It continues:

"In the present, long-buried secrets from their pasts begin to surface. As the women fight to keep their lives from unraveling, they must confront a chilling question: who are they really, and what dark truths are they hiding from each other and themselves?”

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