What happened
A scheduled domestic flight operated by a Scandia was traveling from Congonhest Airport in São Paulo to Santos Dumont in Rio de Janeiro. The aircraft departed at 1144 GMT following an instrument flight plan along Airway AB-6, maintaining a cruising altitude of 2,400 m. On board the flight were 18 passengers and 5 crew members. At 1203 hours, the flight was positioned abeam São José dos Campos and had projected an arrival time at Ubatuba for 1214 hours.
Simultaneously, a Cessna was operating a VFR flight from Santos Dumont toward Campo de Marte in São Paulo. This aircraft carried 4 persons. The Cessna was traveling the same airway but in the opposite direction. Following its departure at 1111 GMT, the aircraft ceased communication with Santos Dumont and failed to report its position.
At approximately 1209 hours, witnesses observed the two planes collide and fall from the sky. Due to the lack of expected progress reports, an alert was issued for the Scandia flight at 1242 hours, and an alert phase was subsequently declared for the Cessna at 1251 hours, after it failed to arrive at its destination.
Findings
The investigation determined that both pilots failed to maintain adequate lookouts for other aircraft in their flight path.