What happened
A flight originating in Belém was en route to Cachimbo Airport via Jacareacanga when the crew reported malfunctions regarding the aircraft's radiocompass. Following this technical issue, the flight was authorized to return to the intermediate stop at Jacareacanga. During the nighttime operation, the crew experienced spatial disorientation due to a lack of ground-based visual references, making it impossible to locate the airfield.
In an attempt to reach Manaus, the pilot communicated a change in plans; however, the aircraft ran out of fuel before reaching a suitable destination. While attempting an emergency landing, the aircraft type struck trees and entered a stall before impacting a swampy area within the Coari region. Following the failure of the flight to arrive at its destination, search and rescue operations were initiated. The wreckage was located in a remote area ten days after the disappearance. The accident resulted in 20 fatalities and 5 survivors.
Findings
The investigation determined that the crew's inability to navigate back to Jacareacanga was compounded by the loss of fuel. The primary factor leading to the crash was fuel exhaustion following a failure of the onboard radiocompass.