Accident
At 1021 GMT, an aircraft departed Cuiabá-Marechal Rondon Airport on an IFR flight plan to Porto Velho. Approximately 30 minutes after takeoff, while near the outskirts of Barra do Bugres, the left engine caught fire. The crew turned the aircraft back toward Cuiabá. While over the area of Buracao, the left wing and engine detached from the fuselage, and the aircraft crashed out of control. All 13 occupants were killed.
Investigation
The official investigation determined the probable cause of the accident to be a structural failure. Specifically, bolts on the No. 8 cylinder of the left engine fractured, leading to the separation of the wing and engine. Contributing factors included defective fire detection and fire extinguishing systems on the aircraft.