What happened
During an approach to Imperatriz Airport, two Bandeirante aircraft were involved in a mid-air collision. The first aircraft, registered PT-GJZ, had completed a flight from São Luíz without prior incident before the impact occurred. The second aircraft, a Bandeilante with registration PT-GKL, was arriving at the same airport following a flight originating from Belém.
Following the collision, the aircraft registered PT-GJZ lost control and descended into the Rio Tocantins, where it subsequently sank. This accident resulted in 18 fatalities among the occupants of that aircraft.
The second aircraft, PT-GKL, which was carrying 17 people at the time of the incident, suffered significant damage when its left engine was torn away during the impact. Despite this mechanical failure, the crew managed to perform an emergency landing in a nearby prairie. While one passenger died during this portion of the event, the remaining 16 occupants survived without injuries.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the primary factor behind the accident was an in-flight collision occurring during the approach phase for undetermined reasons.