No fatalities

1953-07-05: Consolidated PBY Catalina (PT-AXX) — Private Brazil — Picinguaba, Brazil

Picinguaba, BrazilLanding (descent or approach)

On July 5, 1953, a Consolidated PBY Catalina (registration PT-AXX) operated by Private Brazil was involved in an aviation accident near Picinguaba, Brazil during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft struck rough sea conditions during landing, causing a float to detach and leading to a nose-down plunge into the water. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781253144Data APIEditorial standards

A seaplane traveling from São Paulo-Congonhas to Picinguaba crashed into the ocean after striking waves during its landing approach.

What happened

A flight departing from São Paulo-Congonhas was en route to Picinguaba when the accident occurred. The aircraft, carrying a total of ten occupants (one pilot and nine passengers), was attempting to land on the water. During the landing sequence, the seaplane made contact with rough waves, which resulted in one of its floats being torn away from the airframe.

Following the loss of the float, the aircraft's nose dipped downward, causing it to plunge into the sea. Despite the impact, all ten people on board were successfully rescued from the wreckage. The aircraft was subsequently declared a total loss.

Findings

The primary factor in the accident was the impact with waves during the landing phase, which led to structural failure of the float and the subsequent loss of control.

Probable cause

The aircraft struck rough sea conditions during landing, causing a float to detach and leading to a nose-down plunge into the water.