What happened
During the initial climb phase from Ribeirão Preto Airport, an aircraft traveling toward São Paulo-Congonhas experienced a mechanical failure in its left engine. In response to the loss of power, the pilot attempted to descend and perform an emergency landing. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck the ground in an unpopulated area near the airport.
The impact was followed by a significant fire that consumed the airframe. Among the occupants on board, there was one fatality and one serious injury. The remaining 18 people on the aircraft were successfully evacuated from the wreckage.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the engine failure occurred almost immediately after the aircraft rotated for takeoff. The primary factor in the incident was a ruptured fuel line within the left engine. This rupture allowed fuel to escape the line and leak into the engine nacelle, where it ignited upon contact with hot engine parts, leading to the subsequent crash and fire.