What happened
While performing a takeoff roll on runway 36 at Recife-Guararapes Airport, the aircraft's right engine experienced a mechanical failure. Despite this malfunction, the crew proceeded with the takeoff sequence, reaching rotation after traveling approximately 900 metres. Roughly thirty seconds after lifting off, the engine caught fire and underwent an explosion while the plane was at an altitude of about 100 feet.
Following the explosion, the flight crew lost control of the aircraft type, which subsequently crashed into the Ipsep district near the airport. The impact resulted in the destruction of the plane and several nearby structures. The accident resulted in 17 fatalities, comprising all 15 occupants of the aircraft and two individuals located on the ground.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the primary driver of the accident was the failure of the right engine during the takeoff phase. A critical contributing factor was a faulty temperature indicator on the right engine, which provided readings lower than the actual operating temperature. This error caused the engine to run at excessively high temperatures for a period of time without being detected.
Additional issues regarding maintenance protocols were identified. Records indicated that certain maintenance and inspection tasks had been signed off by a maintenance engineer, yet required signatures from a maintenance inspector were absent. Other contributing elements included inadequate crew response to the emergency, manufacturing defects, and the decision by the crew to continue the takeoff rather than aborting the procedure.