Accident
The aircraft was operating a flight from Jaguarão to Porto Alegre on behalf of Varig, with intermediate stops at Rio Grande and Pelotas. During the takeoff roll at one of these stops, the airplane began to deviate to the right. The pilot-in-command attempted to regain control but over-corrected, causing the airplane to turn sharply to the left. It then swung on the runway, veered off the left side, and collided with two parked Douglas DC-3 aircraft, registered PP-ABZ and PP-HDJ.
A fire erupted immediately after the collision, and all three aircraft were destroyed by the blaze. The two DC-3s were empty at the time of the accident. Aboard the aircraft that was taking off, both pilots and eight passengers were killed, while the other occupants sustained injuries.
Probable Cause
The official investigation attributed the accident to pilots error involving incorrect use of the brakes and control while on the ground, as well as a wrong takeoff configuration on the part of the flying crew.