What happened
While operating a flight from Vitória da Conquista toward Salvador, the crew encountered adverse meteorological conditions. As the aircraft entered an area containing cumulonimbus clouds, the captain elected to decrease altitude to maintain visual separation from the cloud formations. During this phase of flight, the aircraft was subjected to intense turbulence. The structural integrity of the plane failed when both wings detached from the fuselage. Following the loss of the wings, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and impacted the ground in the vicinity of Ilhéus.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the aircraft encountered extreme turbulence while navigating through a cumulonimbus cell. This-level of atmospheric instability caused the wings to exceed their structural load limits, leading to their separation from the airframe. The investigation also noted that the crew's choice to perform a rapid descent directly into the thunderstorm area was an imprudent maneuver. The accident resulted in 13 fatalities and left two passengers seriously injured.