Story highlights A twin-prop plane arrives in Chile carrying medical patients in risky flight from South Pole

Patients will now be transported to hospitals for treatment

(CNN) A twin-prop airplane carrying two seriously ill patients from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile, at about 9:40 p.m. ET Wednesday, said a National Science Foundation spokesman.

From Punta Arenas, the two patients will be taken to a medical facility that can provide a level of care that is not available at Amundsen-Scott, the spokesman, Peter West, said.

The Twin Otter flew completed this leg of the trip from the British Antarctic Survey's Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula, where it had arrived 1:15 p.m. ET after a 1,500 mile flight from the South Pole Wednesday, West said.

The flight from the South Pole Station was risky because of weather and distance. To depart, the Twin Otter aircraft operators needed to be sure the weather was clear at both stations after resting for 10 hours, West said.

"Following crew rest, the team checked the weather at both the pole and Rothera and decided conditions warranted flying immediately north," West said in an email.

Read More