Disappearance of survey aircraft near Campinas

7 fatalities • Campinas, Brazil • Flight

A twin-engine aircraft operating a Ministry of Defence survey mission disappeared while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Campinas, leaving no trace of the seven people on board.

What happened

On a scheduled mission for the Ministry of Defence's Rondon Project, a twin engine airplane departed from Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport at 12:31 LT. The flight was intended to reach Campinas-Viracopos Airport to conduct aerial surveying work.

During the transit, the pilot made a change to the flight's operational procedures. At 12:51 LT, the pilot notified Air Traffic Control that the IFR flight plan had been cancelled and that the aircraft would proceed using VFR protocols. This communication served as the final radio transmission from the crew.

Following the failure of the aircraft to arrive at its destination in Viracopos, search and rescue operations were launched. Despite an intensive period of searching, no wreckage or debris was located. After 19 days of active operations, the search efforts were officially terminated without finding any evidence regarding the fate of the 7 occupants.

Findings

No official conclusion regarding the disappearance has been reached due to the total lack of physical evidence from the crash site.

Probable cause

The cause of the disappearance remains undetermined because no wreckage or traces of the aircraft were recovered.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1980-05-13 Britten-Norman Islander accident near Campinas, Brazil?

A twin-engine aircraft operating a Ministry of Defence survey mission disappeared while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Campinas, leaving no trace of the seven people on board.

Were there any fatalities in the 1980-05-13 Britten-Norman Islander accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 7 fatalities.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1980-05-13 involved a Britten-Norman Islander, registration PT-KHK, operated by Votec Taxi Aéreo, at Campinas, Brazil.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The cause of the disappearance remains undetermined because no wreckage or traces of the aircraft were recovered.

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