No fatalities

Gear-up landing at Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport (PP-LEW)

Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont, BrazilLanding (descent or approach)

On November 6, 1968, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster (registration PP-LEW) operated by VASP - Viação Aérea de São Paulo was involved in an aviation accident near Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont, Brazil during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight crew neglected to lower the landing gear during the approach phase of the flight. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft experienced a belly landing at Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro after failing to deploy its landing gear.

What happened

During an approach to Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport, an aircraft performed a landing on its fuselage rather than its wheels. Following the impact with the runway, the plane slid for several dozen meters before coming to a complete stop.

While the incident resulted in no fatalities or injuries, the structural damage sustained during the belly landing was severe enough that the aircraft was declared a total loss.

Findings

Investigations into the event concluded that the primary reason for the accident was an operational error by the crew, specifically that they failed to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown.

Probable cause

The flight crew neglected to lower the landing gear during the approach phase of the flight.