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Crash of a Boeing 737-2C3 in Carajás: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1997 at 1234 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PP-CJO
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Belém – Marabá – Carajás – Brasília
MSN:
21013
YOM:
1974
Flight number:
RG265
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
48
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
6138
Captain / Total hours on type:
2478.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1720
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1464
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Belém-Val de Cans Airport on a flight to Brasília with intermediate stops in Marabá and Carajás, carrying 48 passengers and a crew of six. The approach to Carajás-Parauapebas Airport was completed in poor weather conditions with rain falls, clouds down to 120 metres and a limited visibility due to rain and fog. On final the aircraft was unstable and landed hard on runway 10. On touchdown, the right main gear was torn off and the aircraft went out of control. It veered off runway to the right, collided with trees and eventually came to rest in a wooded area. The copilot was killed as the right side of the cockpit was destroyed upon impact. Ten other people were injured and 43 escaped unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The following findings were identified:
- Lack of crew coordination,
- The captain was overconfident,
- The copilot showed a lack of self confidence,
- The environment developed in the cockpit on approach allowed the pilots to deviate from the operational tasks primarily related to mutual controls,
- Poor approach and landing planning which required a higher sink rate than normal,
- The crew failed to make an approach briefing,
- Insufficient application of controls,
- The crew completed an unstable approach,
- Weather conditions were below minimums,
- The runway was not equipped with a lighting system but only with PAPIs,
- The crew failed to initiate a go-around procedure as the landing was obviously missed.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 737-241 near São José do Xingu: 12 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1989 at 2045 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PP-VMK
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
São Paulo – Marabá – Belém
MSN:
21006
YOM:
1975
Flight number:
RG254
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
48
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Captain / Total flying hours:
6928
Captain / Total hours on type:
980.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
884
Copilot / Total hours on type:
442
Aircraft flight hours:
33373
Circumstances:
Following a wrong flight preparation and erroneous computer setting regarding the route, the crew computerized 027° instead of 270°. After takeoff from Marabá Airport at 1725LT, the crew was cleared to climb to FL290 and maintained heading of 270° for 40 minutes. The flight was then cleared to descend to FL200 by Belém ACC. However, the crew failed to find navigational aids and lost radio contact. Course was changed to 090 degrees as the aircraft further descended down to FL40. The crew then followed a river, heading 165 degrees. Because of the sunset and haze the pilot's had difficulty navigating. Also, they failed to establish radio contact on several frequencies and failed to find navaids in the area. After the crew found the NDB, both engines stopped due to fuel exhaustion. The captain elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in the jungle about 60 km from São José do Xingu. Rescue teams arrived on site 44 hours later. 42 occupants were injured while 12 passengers were killed. The aircraft was destroyed. It appeared that the computerized flight plan used a four digit representation of the magnetic bearing with the last digit being a tenth of a degree without any decimal separator. A course of '027.0' was presented as '0270'.
Probable cause:
A. Human Factor
1) Physiological aspect - Did not contribute to the accident.
2) Psychological aspect - The following psychological variables contributed to the accident:
a) Misleading perception - In the reading of the plan and incorrect heading insertion by the commander.
b) Reinforcement - In the reading and incorrect heading insertion by the co-pilot and heading conference placed by the commander.
c) Marginal attention and level of attention - The non-recognition of conditions that would mean being far from the objective: request for "VHF bridge" when other aircraft were talking normally with the Control; "reception" of commercial stations, and non-receipt of destination NDB, etc.
d) Predisposition - Maintaining the urge to go to the established objective (Belém).
e) Predisposition duration - Maintenance of FL040 for a long time.
f) Reinforcement of predisposition - Reception of boundaries when selecting Belem's radio frequencies.
g) Attention Fixing - Permanent search for headings, radio contacts or river contours, as an alternative, to reach the fixed goal.
h) Blocks - Delays in identifying the initial headings error and plotting itself in navigation.
i) Geographical position error.
B. Material Factor - Did not contribute to the accident.
C. Operational Factor
1) Poor supervision - Inadequate graphical representation of the Computer Flight Plan.
2) Poor cockpit coordination - No supervision of cockpit activities. Actions were not supervised, but imitated.
3) Poor support staff - Lack of radio contact by the operator's Flight Coordination with the aircraft in flight, after the significant landing delay in Belém, thus breaking the chain of events of the accident.
4) Pilot aspect characterized by environmental influence - Difficulties of visualization due to sunset and dry fog: Radio aid markings received from great distances, originating from the ionospheric propagation of electromagnetic waves.
5) Pilot aspect characterized by poor planning - Lack of route letters to cross the flight plan information.
6) Pilot aspect characterized by poor judgment - Inadequate evaluation and use of radio-navigation equipment, resulting in the pursuit of markings without causing tuning and identification.
7) Pilot aspect characterized by other operational factors - Operational doctrine firming.
Final Report:

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Marabá: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PT-ASN
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Belém – Marabá
MSN:
1792
YOM:
1944
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
On approach to Marabá, both engines failed. The crew elected to make an emergency landing when the seaplane crashed into the Río Tocantins. A crewman was killed while four other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Marabá

Date & Time: May 13, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PT-AMR
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1995
YOM:
1944
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Apparently following engine problems, the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing on the Río Tocantins in Marabá. All three passengers were unhurt while all three crew members were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Consolidated PA-10 Catalina in Marabá: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 31, 1953 at 0740 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
6500
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1059
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
One minute after takeoff from Marabá, the aircraft crashed near a fuel depot located along the Rio Tocantins. Four crew members were killed, a fifth was rescued.