On May 30, 1950, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration PP-AVZ) operated by Aerovias Brasil was involved in an aviation accident near Ilhéus, Brazil in flight. 13 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft encountered severe turbulences while cruising in a cumulonimbus area, which caused the rupture of both wings that were overstressed (above wing certification). This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A flight from Vitória da Conquista to Salvador crashed after encountering severe turbulence in a cumulonimbus area, resulting in wing separation. Two passengers were seriously injured, 13 other occupants were killed.
Incident Details
Aircraft on a route from Vitória da Conquista to Salvador encountered poor weather conditions. The captain decided to reduce altitude to avoid clouds, but the aircraft entered a cumulonimbus area. Severe turbulence was encountered, causing the aircraft to go out of control as both wings broke off and separated. The aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in the region of Ilhéus. Two passengers sustained serious injuries, while 13 other occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation reported that the aircraft encountered severe turbulence while cruising in a cumulonimbus area, which caused the rupture of both wings that were overstressed (above wing certification). The decision of the crew to start a rapid descent and to fly into a cumulonimbus area was imprudent.
An X-AIR HAWK ultralight crashed in Chonburi, Thailand, killing the pilot and injuring a passenger. The accident was caused by deteriorated wing fabric and…
A Challenger II Special ultralight aircraft (U-B23) landed off-runway at Pai Airport, Mae Hong Son, on September 17, 2024, due to a gust of wind. No injuries…
The Polish aviation safety authority is investigating a serious incident involving an AT-3R100 aircraft that occurred on September 2, 2024. The investigation…
A SZD-48-3 glider suffered damage when its left wing struck a ground obstacle during a low final approach at EPWK on June 20, 2025. The pilot was uninjured.
A 39-year-old skydiver died after a hard landing near Leszno on May 1, 2026. The PKBWL preliminary report indicates the fatal impact resulted from a late,…
A student pilot crashed an SZD-50-3 Puchacz glider into the airfield fence during a solo training flight on June 6, 2026. The pilot was uninjured, but the…