The four engine aircraft was completing a flight from Recife to Vila dos Remédios, on Fernando de Noronha Island, carrying six crew of the Brazilian Air Force, two members of the Brazilian Navy, 13 local workers and huit island residents. The approach was initiated by night when the aircraft hit the water surface and crashed in the ocean about 16 km offshore. The aircraft was destroyed and all 29 occupants were killed.
Probable cause (official findings): For unknown reasons, the crew was approaching the island at an insufficient altitude. Lack of visual references was considered as a contributing factor.