What happened
The aircraft, identified as Baby Clipper, was conducting a standard approach to the seaplane landing area near Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro. The flight was following established company procedures when the left engine suddenly lost power. This failure caused the airplane to yaw sharply to the left and enter a descending turn. As the aircraft continued to lose altitude, the turn became steeper and sharper until it collided with a caisson anchored at right angles to a small island in the harbor. The impact occurred immediately adjacent to the intended landing path. All four crew members and ten passengers were killed in the accident, while one passenger sustained serious injuries and another suffered minor injuries.
Findings
Investigations by the Air Safety Board determined that the left engine experienced a sudden loss of power at a critical moment during the landing approach. Despite a detailed examination and disassembly of the engine, no structural failures or mechanical defects were found to explain the event. Consequently, the specific cause of the power loss remains unknown. The accident was attributed to this unexplained engine failure, which forced an attempted landing under extremely hazardous conditions.