What happened
On the morning of the accident, an aircraft departed from Cuiabá-Marechal Rondon Airport at 10:21 GNT, operating under an IFR flight plan toward Porto Velho. Approximately 30 minutes into the flight, near the outskirts of Barra do Bugres, the crew attempted to return to Cuiabá due to a fire involving the left engine.
While passing over the Buracao region, the aircraft suffered a catastrophic loss of structural integrity when the left wing and engine separated from the fuselage. The aircraft subsequently fell out of control and struck the ground. There were 13 fatalities among the occupants on board.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the primary cause was a structural failure resulting from fractured bolts on the No. 8 cylinder of the left engine. Additionally, investigators identified that the aircraft's fire detection and fire extinguishing systems were not functioning correctly, which contributed to the severity of the incident.