What happened
On the route between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, flight 1800, operating as VD-3, experienced a sudden fire in its starboard engine while positioned near Ubatuba. Following the mechanical failure, the pilot initiated an emergency turn toward the south to attempt an unplanned landing at Ubatuba. During this maneuver, the aircraft began losing altitude.
As the flight progressed through light rain, the crew was unable to identify Papagaio Peak on Anchieta Island until the terrain was nearly upon them. In a final effort to avoid the mountain, the pilot attempted to pitch the nose upward; however, this maneuver resulted in an aerodynamic stall. The aircraft type impacted the peak at 1520LT, followed by a post-crash fire that completely destroyed the wreckage.
Findings
The accident resulted in 23 fatalities among passengers and 3 fatalities among the crew. Additionally, the crash left one crew member and three passengers with serious injuries. The investigation concluded that the primary factor was a power plant failure of unknown origin.