What happened
A medical transport flight departing from São Paulo-Congonhas Airport was en route to Uberlândia to collect a patient when the accident occurred. The crew consisted of two pilots and two doctors. During the arrival phase, the aircraft encountered severe weather conditions, including dense fog and a cloud ceiling of only 100 meters, which resulted in horizontal visibility dropping below required minimums.
The flight crew initially attempted an approach but aborted the maneuver, performing a go-around. A subsequent attempt at an approach was also unsuccessful and abandoned. Instead of diverting to a designated alternate airport, the crew proceeded with a third approach attempt. During this final maneuver, the Learjet struck the ground before reaching the runway threshold. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and caused four serious injuries among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident highlighted several critical issues regarding crew training and operational decisions. It was determined that the copilot was acting as the pilot flying during the flight, marking his first solo operation of the Learjet without an instructor. This arrangement violated aviation regulations, as the copilot had not yet achieved full qualification and the captain lacked the necessary instructor rating to supervise the flight. Furthermore, the decision to attempt a third approach in visibility conditions that were below legal minimums was a primary factor in the impact.