Background
On a night flight from Brasília to São Paulo, a twin-engine aircraft flew a charter carrying seven members of the pop music group Mamonas Assassinas and two pilots. The approach encountered limited visibility due to darkness, absence of ground lights, and clouds.
Accident
The crew initiated a go-around after realizing their position was erroneous—they were too high with excessive glide and speed. The captain then began a left turn. Moments later, at an altitude of 3,280 feet, the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a dense wooded area roughly 11 kilometers from the airport. Impact forces destroyed the aircraft, and all nine occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
Official findings reported multiple factors: the crew was fatigued from a 16-hour 30-minute duty period without rest; the captain exhibited excess self-confidence; physical fatigue worsened the crew's situational stress; the crew lacked proper training; coordination was poor; approach and landing planning was inadequate; environmental conditions included lack of visibility, missing ground lights, and low clouds; the crew failed to follow missed approach procedures; the copilot was inexperienced; and instead of executing a right turn to 092° and climbing to 6,000 feet, the captain initiated a left turn, causing the aircraft to impact obstacles.