What happened
On a scheduled international flight traveling from Buenos Aires toward New York, the aircraft known as 'Clipper Good Hope' departed Rio de Janeiro at 02:43 local time. The flight was en route to Port of Spain when it encountered significant difficulties during the night cruise.
While operating under visual flight rules (VFR) at an altitude of 14,500 feet in favorable weather conditions, the four-engine airplane experienced intense vibrations. This led to a loss of control and an uncontrolled descent. The aircraft eventually crashed in a remote, uninhabited region situated approximately 120 km southeast of Porto Nacional. Search efforts located the wreckage two days after the event. There were no survivors among the 50 occupants, all of whom were killed.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the primary factor was the separation of the number two engine and its propeller from the airframe. This separation was caused by extreme unbalanced forces. The subsequent loss of control and the structural disintegration of the aircraft occurred for reasons that remained undetermined.