What happened
On March 25, 1996, an Embraer 810, registration PT-EPF, departed from São Luís, Maranhão, bound for Imperatriz. Although the pilot was aware of unfavorable weather conditions along the route, the flight plan was filed for visual flight rules (VFR). During the flight, the aircraft encountered heavy cloud formations, including cumulonimbus (CB) and towering cumulus (TCU) clouds, which forced the pilot to descend to maintain visual contact with the terrain.
While flying near Monção, the aircraft was observed at a low altitude. In an attempt to maintain control amidst strong updrafts and downdrafts, the pilot executed abrupt control inputs. These maneuvers exceeded the aircraft's structural limits, leading to a catastrophic in-flight breakup. The right wing failed at the engine nacelle, causing the right engine to lose fuel. Simultaneously, the left wing failed at the root, causing the left engine to strike the aircraft's nose, which subsequently tore the tail cone from the fuselage. The remaining wreckage plummeted into a forested area, resulting in four fatalities.