Incident
On the final leg of a journey from London to Rio de Janeiro, following an overnight stop in Recife, the crew departed from Recife-Guararapes Airport in the early morning. Shortly after takeoff from runway 36, while climbing, the crew informed air traffic control that one of the right engines was on fire and elected to make an emergency landing. The aircraft lost altitude and eventually crashed in flames on a pottery located in the district of Apipucos, approximately 10 kilometers northwest of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed, and all seven crew members were killed.
Crew
The crew comprised Captain Nei Custódio Adriano, Captain José da Silva, First Lieutenant Luis Pereira da Fonseca, Lieutenant Milton Pinto da Rocha, Sergeant Edmundo Silva, Sergeant Osvaldo Pereira Davi, and one additional crew member.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that one of the right engines caught fire during initial climb for an undetermined reason.