What happened
During a local training mission operating out of Rio de Janeiro-Galeão Airport, an aircraft experienced a critical mechanical failure during its departure sequence. As the aircraft was accelerating through the takeoff roll and had just surpassed V1 speed, the nose landing gear unexpectedly retracted into the fuselage.
This sudden loss of support caused the airframe to settle onto its underbelly. The impact and subsequent movement along the runway resulted in the total loss of both engine number two and engine number three. The aircraft continued to slide for a significant distance across the airfield before catching fire. While the incident was severe, there were no fatalities among the seven crew members on board, though all sustained slight injuries. The aircraft itself was determined to be a total loss due to extensive damage.
Findings
Investigations into the accident concluded that the premature retraction of the undercarriage was not caused by mechanical failure, but rather by human error. The investigation identified that inadequate flight preparation and a lack of coordination among the crew led to the landing gear being retracted while the aircraft was still on the ground.