What happened
On a scheduled flight from Hamburg, Germany, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, an aircraft operating as LH502 was conducting its arrival procedures near Rio de Janeiro. The crew had received clearance to descend from 4,200 m to 3,000 m approximately 20 minutes before reaching the KX NDB, with instructions to maintain that altitude until reaching the station for an approach to runway 14. After passing the KX NDB, the aircraft was cleared to a lower altitude of 900 m.
While navigating over Guanabara Bay during rainy weather, the Lockheed Super Constellation struck the surface of the water with its nose wheel. Following this initial impact, the aircraft continued toward the destination but ultimately crashed near Flecheiras Beach, failing to reach the Galeão runway. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in the destruction of the plane. There were 36 fatalities (comprising 29 passengers and seven crew members), while only three crew members managed to survive the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the crash revealed that the flight crew's duty and flight durations had surpassed Brazilian regulatory limits, though they remained within German legal constraints. While investigators could not definitively identify a single trigger for the accident, the official conclusion pointed toward pilot error involving a descent below the minimum altitude during the final approach. Additionally, fatigue among the aircrew was identified as a contributing factor to the event.