Incident Description
The aircraft was returning to its base in Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont following an ambulance flight to Campo de Marte AFB. Shortly after takeoff from runway 30, while climbing to an altitude of 1,400 feet, the aircraft rolled to the right to an angle of 90° then entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed onto several houses located on Bernardino de Sena Street, bursting into flames.
Casualties and Injuries
Both pilots as well as six people on the ground were killed. Six other people were seriously injured.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the probable cause was a possible loss of control during initial climb consecutive to a fuel imbalance. Contributing factors identified include crew fatigue, non-compliance with published procedures, poor distribution of tasks prior to the flight and during the initial climb, overconfidence on part of the crew, poor flight preparation, loss of situational awareness, incorrect application of controls, and the crew failed to follow the pre-takeoff checklist.