13 fatalities

Aircraft Collides with Mount Forno Grande After Deviating from Flight Plan (PP-CBY)

Mt Forno Grande, BrazilFlight

On August 26, 1955, a Douglas DC-3 (registration PP-CBY) operated by Cruzeiro do Sul was involved in an aviation accident near Mt Forno Grande, Brazil in flight. 13 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was due to the Forno Grande peak not being indicated on current charts, the flight being conducted outside the airway and failure to adhere to the approved flight plan. 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 IFR flight from Rio to Caravelas crashed into Mount Forno Grande after reporting over Campos. The official investigation cited the peak's absence from charts, deviation from the airway, and failure to adhere to the flight plan as the probable cause.

Incident Overview

A commercial aircraft operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) departed from Rio de Janeiro en route to Caravelas. The flight plan specified cruising at 1,500 meters along airway Vd-1. On board were 4 crew members and 9 passengers.

Sequence of Events

Fifty-eight minutes into the flight, the crew reported being over Campos at the assigned altitude of 1,500 meters. This was the last communication received from the aircraft. Subsequently, the wreckage was discovered on the summit of Mount Forno Grande, located in the state of Espírito Santo. There were no survivors, and the aircraft was destroyed upon impact.

Official Findings

According to the investigation, the probable cause of the accident was a combination of factors: the Forno Grande peak was not depicted on current aeronautical charts, the flight was conducted outside the designated airway, and the crew failed to adhere to the approved flight plan.