Accident Overview
The accident occurred during a night approach to Uberaba Airport when the crew, having departed from São Paulo-Guarulhos Airport under initially good weather conditions, encountered deteriorating visibility en route. Upon commencing the approach, visibility was reported to be below IFR minimums. Despite this, the crew continued the descent, eventually descending 240 feet below the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA). The aircraft struck two houses and crashed in the district of Conjunto Pontal, bursting into flames. The wreckage was located approximately 800 meters short of the threshold of runway 17. Both pilots and one occupant of a house were killed.
Circumstances
The flight departed São Paulo-Guarulhos Airport under good weather conditions forecast for the destination. However, conditions worsened during the flight, and by the time the crew began the approach to Uberaba Airport at night, visibility had fallen below the minimums required for an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) approach. The crew decided to proceed with the landing attempt, descending below the MDA. The aircraft impacted two houses before coming to rest and catching fire. The wreckage was found 800 meters from the runway threshold.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was the crew's decision to descend below the MDA in weather conditions that were below minimums. The following contributing factors were identified: low visibility (night), poor judgment on the part of the crew, poor approach planning, lack of supervision, the pilot's action on the controls causing an aerodynamic stall during the approach leading to loss of control and collision with obstacles, poor crew coordination, and lack of discipline.