# Francisco Abal
**Francisco Domingo Abal Guerault** (June 24, 1951 – October 13, 1972), known as **Panchito**, was a Uruguayan rugby union player for the Old Christians Club who died in the crash of [Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571](https://www.edgepedia.org/uruguayan-air-force-flight-571) in the Andes. He was recognized as one of the finest rugby players in Uruguay and played for the Uruguayan national team in 1970.[1](https://www.ask-oracle.com/birth-chart/francisco-domingo-abal-guerault/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Domingo Abal Guerault |
| Born | 1951, Montevideo, Uruguay[1](https://www.ask-oracle.com/birth-chart/francisco-domingo-abal-guerault/) |
| Nickname | Panchito[2](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/04/nando-parrado-andes-plane-crash-1972-rugby-team) |
| Club | Old Christians Club; member of its first rugby team and captain in several periods[3](https://bibliotecanuestroshijos.com.uy/nuestros-hijos/) |
| Position | Winger for the Old Christians First 15[4](https://www.tumgik.com/tag/panchito%20abal) |
| National team | Played for Uruguay in 1970[1](https://www.ask-oracle.com/birth-chart/francisco-domingo-abal-guerault/) |
| Died | October 13, 1972, in the Andes, in the crash of Flight 571[1](https://www.ask-oracle.com/birth-chart/francisco-domingo-abal-guerault/) |
## Rugby career
Abal was educated at Colegio Stella Maris in [Montevideo](https://www.edgepedia.org/montevideo), graduating at 21, and played as a winger for the school's First 15 before joining the Old Christians Club, where he played for its First 15 side.[4](https://www.tumgik.com/tag/panchito%20abal) He was a member of the club's first rugby team and served as its captain in several periods.[3](https://bibliotecanuestroshijos.com.uy/nuestros-hijos/) In 1970 he played for the Uruguayan national rugby team.[1](https://www.ask-oracle.com/birth-chart/francisco-domingo-abal-guerault/)
## Flight 571 and death
In October 1972 Abal traveled with the Old Christians team, their friends, and family on a chartered flight from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile. The Fairchild FH-227D struck a mountain ridge in the Andes on October 13, 1972.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/04/nando-parrado-andes-plane-crash-1972-rugby-team) Abal was among the passengers who did not survive; 29 of the 45 people on board eventually died, some in the impact and others in the weeks that followed in the mountains.[5](https://sites.google.com/americana.edu.co/shareting/los-pasajeros-que-no-lograron-sobrevivir)
His death was entangled with that of his closest friend, [Nando Parrado](https://www.edgepedia.org/nando-parrado). Moments before the crash, Abal persuaded Parrado to swap seats so that he could have the window view of the mountains; the seat change saved Parrado's life and cost Abal his own.[4](https://www.tumgik.com/tag/panchito%20abal) Parrado, who was unconscious for three days after the crash, recalled being told that his mother was dead and that "Panchito is dead," and described Abal as a brother who lived two or three days a week in his home and used his clothes.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/04/nando-parrado-andes-plane-crash-1972-rugby-team) Parrado was one of the 16 survivors rescued 72 days after the crash.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/04/nando-parrado-andes-plane-crash-1972-rugby-team)
## Memory and film
Abal's life and death are depicted in the 2023 film *[Society of the Snow](https://www.edgepedia.org/society-of-the-snow)*, in which he is portrayed by the Argentine actor Jerónimo Bosia.[1](https://www.ask-oracle.com/birth-chart/francisco-domingo-abal-guerault/) The Biblioteca Nuestros Hijos, a Uruguayan library founded in memory of those who did not return from the Andes in 1972, keeps his profile among those it commemorates.[3](https://bibliotecanuestroshijos.com.uy/nuestros-hijos/)
## References
1. [Francisco Domingo Abal Guerault – Age, Birthday, Zodiac Sign and Birth Chart, Ask-Oracle](https://www.ask-oracle.com/birth-chart/francisco-domingo-abal-guerault/)
2. [Chris Godfrey (2023). My plane crashed in the Andes. Only the unthinkable kept me and the other starving survivors alive. The Guardian.](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/04/nando-parrado-andes-plane-crash-1972-rugby-team)
3. [Nuestros hijos, Biblioteca Nuestros Hijos](https://bibliotecanuestroshijos.com.uy/nuestros-hijos/)
4. [#panchito abal, Tumgik tag archive](https://www.tumgik.com/tag/panchito%20abal)
5. [Milagro en Los Andes – Los pasajeros que no lograron sobrevivir](https://sites.google.com/americana.edu.co/shareting/los-pasajeros-que-no-lograron-sobrevivir)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › Rugby union players and personnel › Southern Hemisphere players*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license