What happened
During a nighttime departure from São Paulo-Guarulhos Airport, an aircraft bound for Buenos Aires experienced mechanical issues. The captain notified Air Traffic Control of these technical difficulties, prompting authorization to perform an emergency return to the departure airport.
While attempting the landing on runway 09L, the aircraft approached at a speed of 185 knots with the flaps set to 15°. Because the runway surface was wet, the aircraft was unable to decelerate sufficiently within the available runway length. This led to a runway excursion where the aircraft overran the pavement, causing the undercarriage to separate from the airframe. The aircraft eventually came to a stop approximately 200 metres beyond the end of the runway.
All 128 occupants were successfully evacuated from the aircraft type without loss of life, though two passengers sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was declared a total loss.
Findings
- The primary factor in the accident was the inability to stop on the wet runway due to the high approach speed and reduced braking effectiveness.