What happened
A flight departing from Rio de Janeiro-Galeão Airport for Belém experienced a catastrophic event during its journey. The aircraft, a four-engine plane, was carrying a total of 21 people, consisting of 15 passengers and a crew of six.
Approximately three hours after takeoff, while the aircraft was maintaining its cruising altitude, a fire broke out inside the cabin. Following the outbreak of the fire, the crew was unable to maintain control of the plane. The aircraft subsequently entered a steep dive and impacted an open field in the vicinity of Formosa de Rio Preto. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and 21 fatalities.
Findings
The primary factor identified in the sequence of events was an in-flight fire that occurred during the cruise phase of the flight, which led to the loss of control and the subsequent crash.