What happened
A charter flight departing from Rio de Janeiro-Galeão Airport was en route to Macaé to transport a group of 16 journalists. The passengers, representing four Brazilian television networks, were traveling to visit an offshore oil platform at the invitation of Petrobras.
During the descent toward Macaé Airport, the aircraft encountered adverse weather conditions. Despite the lack of visibility, the crew attempted to complete the approach using Visual Flight Rules (VFR). While navigating the area, the twin engine airplane collided with the slope of Mt Morro São João, a peak standing 600 meters high. The impact occurred approximately 34 km southwest of the threshold for runway 06.
The collision resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. There were no survivors among the 18 fatalities recorded at the scene.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the accident was a result of controlled flight into terrain. This occurred because the crew proceeded with the approach under VFR protocols while actually operating within Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).