What happened
A positioning flight operated by three crew members departed Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport, destined for Rio de Janeiro-Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim Airport. Shortly after takeoff, approximately two minutes into the initial climb, the aircraft experienced a significant voltage power loss within its electrical system. This failure resulted in the loss of critical flight instruments, including the airspeed indicator, altimeters, and the TCAS.
Despite the deteriorating instrument conditions, the weather remained clear. The captain elected to perform a return to Santos Dumont Airport without declaring a formal emergency. While descending to an assigned altitude of 3,000 feet, the crew experienced a total loss of radio communications.
During the final approach to runway 02R, the crew continued the landing attempt despite the continued failure of most cockpit instruments. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at a speed 25 knots above the intended limit. Upon touchdown, the crew attempted to initiate braking, but the spoilers and thrust reversers failed to deploy due to the electrical issues. Consequently, the aircraft could not stop within the runway limits, overran the pavement, and ended up in Guanabara Bay. There were no fatalities among the three crew members, though the aircraft sustained damage requiring repair.
Findings
- The primary factor in the accident was a voltage power loss in the electrical system.
- The electrical failure caused the malfunction of essential flight instruments and the inoperability of aerodynamic braking devices, such as spoilers and reversers.
- The loss of radio communications prevented the crew from notifying air traffic control of their situation during the descent.