Brazil | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Following an uneventful flight and approach, the crew landed at Santos Dumont Airport. After touchdown on a wet runway, the airplane encountered difficulties to stop within the remaining distance, overran and plunged into the Guanabara Bay. While all 31 occupants were quickly evacuated and uninjured, the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration on part of the flying crew who completed the landing procedure with an excessive speed and a tail wind component. The aircraft's speed at touchdown was too high and the runway surface was wet, which were considered as contributory factors.

Crash of a Stinson SR-10 Reliant in São Bernardo de Campo: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1954 at 1050 LT

Type of aircraft:

Stinson SR-10 Reliant

Operator:

Registration:

PP-DKS

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Campo de Marte – Praia Grande

MSN:

288

Location:

Campo de Marte AFB (São Paulo)

São Paulo

Country:

Brazil

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Ten minutes after its takeoff from Campo de Marte AFB in São Paulo, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in São Bernardo de Campo, in the south of the city. All five occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas A-20K Havoc in Piraí: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 8, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

6074

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

23392

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all six crew members.

Crash of a Beechcraft RC-45G Expeditor near Recife

Date & Time: Oct 7, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor

Operator:

Registration:

51-11846

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

AF-403

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following a fuel exhaustion in flight, the crew decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed 19 km northwest of Recife. The airplane was destroyed while both pilots were uninjured.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Consolidated C-10A Catalina in Belém: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 29, 1954 at 1737 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Operator:

Registration:

6516

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Belém – Manaus

MSN:

1919

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Four minutes after takeoff from Belém, bound for Manaus, the seaplane suffered an engine failure and crashed. Both pilots were killed while 11 other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-70-DL off Rio de Janeiro: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1954 at 2007 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

PP-CDJ

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Rio de Janeiro – São Paulo

MSN:

19278

YOM:

1943

Location:

Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont

Rio de Janeiro

Country:

Brazil

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport at the end of the afternoon, bound for São Paulo-Congonhas Airport. While descending to Congonhas, the crew encountered below minima weather conditions and decided to return to Santos Dumont. While approaching Rio, the left engine suffered severe vibrations and was shut down and its propeller was feathered. As the aircraft was too high on approach, the crew elected to make a go around when the airplane stalled and crashed into the Guanabara Bay. Six passengers were killed while 24 other occupants were rescued. The aircraft was lost.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the aircraft stalled and crashed during an attempt to go around when the power on the remaining engine was inadvertently reduced by the flying crew. It was reported that the crew was devolved by the loss of power on the left engine during the approach and that he was forced to shot it down. When the aircraft stalled, the distance from the water surface was insufficient to expect a recovery. A lack of reference to instruments on part of the flying crew and a lack of visibility were considered as contributory factors.

Crash of a Grumman J4F-2 Widgeon in Bauru: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1954 at 1300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Grumman G-44 Widgeon

Operator:

Registration:

2668

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Bauru - Bauru

MSN:

1272

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew left Bauru Airport at 1100LT for local training purposes. After completing several maneuvers, the crew started a new approach when the pilot-in-command decided to make a go around. The aircraft stalled and crashed short of runway. Both pilots were seriously injured but one of them died from his injuries few hours later.

Crash of a Lockheed C-28 Hudson in Salvador: 20 killed

Date & Time: Jul 2, 1954 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

2901

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Salvador – Fortaleza

MSN:

414-7176

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Salvador Airport, while climbing, an engine failed. The airplane stalled and crashed in a field past the runway end. All 20 occupants were killed, among them five children.

Probable cause:

Engine failure during initial climb.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando in São Paulo: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1954 at 1100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

PP-VBZ

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

São Paulo – Porto Alegre

MSN:

30400

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Just after liftoff, while in initial climb, the airplane stalled and crashed near the runway end. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew failed to prepare the flight properly and failed to adhere to the operator procedures. As the crew did not follow the pre-departure checklist, he failed to remove the elevator lock prior to takeoff.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL on Mt Cipó: 19 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

PP-ANO

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Governador Valadares – Belo Horizonte

MSN:

19830

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes before its arrival, while cruising in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Cipó located about 50 km northeast of Belo Horizonte-Pampulha Airport. All 19 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

At the time of the accident, the aircraft was off course by 48 km, most probably due to a navigation error on part of the flying crew. The lack of visibility caused by low clouds and poor weather conditions was considered as a contributory factor.