Accident
On a scheduled flight from Bauru Airport to São Paulo, a twin-engine aircraft departed at 1930 local time. Ten minutes into the flight, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and lost control of the aircraft, which entered a dive and crashed in a pine forest in Agudos. The impact resulted in a huge explosion, and the aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. All 18 occupants were killed.
Investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and determined that the loss of control likely stemmed from an in-flight structural failure.
Probable Cause
The official finding states that the loss of control was the consequence of the separation of a horizontal stabilizer in flight.