4 fatalities

Wing Strike Causes Crash During Brazilian Navy Exercise (7053)

Fortaleza, BrazilFlight

On June 27, 1985, an Embraer C-95 Bandeirante (registration 7053) operated by Brazilian Air Force - Força Aérea Brasileira (1941-) was involved in an aviation accident near Fortaleza, Brazil in flight. 4 people were killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-11Data APIEditorial standards

A twin-engine airplane struck the water surface while flying low over the sea, crashed, and sank 18 NM off Mucuripe, Fortaleza. All four crew members were killed.

Incident

A twin-engine airplane departed Fortaleza Airport at 0800 local time with four crew members aboard. The aircraft was participating in a combined exercise named 'Costeirex Nordeste 85' with the Brazilian Navy. At approximately 1020LT, while flying at a very low height above the sea, one wing struck the water surface. The impact caused the aircraft to crash and sink to a depth of 29 meters about 18 nautical miles off Mucuripe, a district of Fortaleza.

Wreckage

One wing was discovered 500 meters away from the main wreckage. The aircraft was fully submerged.

Crew

All four crew members were killed in the accident. They were identified as Captain Gildo Zanin Pistolato, Sergeant Renato Ribeiro do Santos, Lieutenant Marcelo Luis Lemos, and Vinicius Santos do Nascimento.