TAM Airlines Flight 3054 Runway Excursion and Collision

199 fatalities • São Paulo-Congonhas, Brazil • Landing (descent or approach)

An Airbus A320 crashed into a building and a service station after overrunning the runway at Congonhas Airport, resulting in 199 total fatalities.

What happened

On 17 July 2007, flight JJ3054, an Airbus A320 with registration PR-MBK, departed from Porto Alegre for Congonhas Airport in São Paulo. The flight was carrying 181 passengers and 6 active crew members. During the flight, the crew encountered difficult weather conditions that required several route deviations.

Prior to the arrival, the crew had been informed that runway 35L at the destination was wet and slippery. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was operating under the Minimum Equipment List with the number 2 engine reverser deactivated. During the landing phase at 18:54 local time, the crew observed that the ground spoilers failed to deploy. Consequently, the aircraft failed to decelerate sufficiently and veered toward the left side of the runway.

The aircraft overran the left edge of the runway near the departure end, crossed Washington Luís Avenue, and struck a TAM Express cargo facility and a fuel service station. The impact and subsequent intense fire resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. There were 187 fatalities on board the aircraft, including all passengers and crew.

Findings

The accident was characterized by the failure of the ground spoilers to deploy, which prevented the aircraft from slowing down on the slippery runway surface. The collision also resulted in 12 fatalities on the ground at the cargo building and caused significant damage to a nearby convenience store and parked vehicles.

Probable cause

The failure of the ground spoilers to deploy prevented the aircraft from decelerating on a wet and slippery runway.

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Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2007-07-17 Airbus A320 accident near São Paulo-Congonhas, Brazil?

An Airbus A320 crashed into a building and a service station after overrunning the runway at Congonhas Airport, resulting in 199 total fatalities.

Were there any fatalities in the 2007-07-17 Airbus A320 accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 199 fatalities.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2007-07-17 involved a Airbus A320, registration PR-MBK, operated by TAM Brasil - Taxi Aéreo Marilia - Transportes Aéreos Regionais, at São Paulo-Congonhas, Brazil.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The failure of the ground spoilers to deploy prevented the aircraft from decelerating on a wet and slippery runway.

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