Crash of a NAMC YS-11A-211 near Petrópolis: 25 killed
Date & Time:
Apr 12, 1972 at 2126 LT
Operator:
Registration:
PP-SMI
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
São Paulo – Rio de Janeiro
MSN:
2059
YOM:
1968
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
21
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
25
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, the crew started the descent to Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport from the north. While flying at an altitude of 5,000 feet by night and in marginal weather conditions, the crew informed ATC he just passed over AF NDB. Two minutes later, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located near Petrópolis, about 50 km north of Santos Dumont Airport. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 25 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that while descending in IMC conditions, the crew mistakenly tuned the ADF instrument to a wrong NDB, causing the airplane to follow a wrong approach path and to descend at an inappropriate altitude. The lack of visibility due to the night and clouds was considered as a contributing factor.
