Narrative:
Transbrasil flight 303, a Boeing 727, struck a hill while on approach to Florianópolis, Brazil.
Flight TR303 departed Belém on the day of the accident and was bound for Porto Alegre, with stops in Fortaleza, Brasília, Vitória, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Curitiba and Florianópolis.
On the leg to Florianópolis the aircraft was flown by an inspector pilot from the Civil Aviation Department, who was training for the Boeing 727's supervisory role. The training was overseen by the captain of the aircraft.
The flight crew conducted an ADF non-precision approach to Florianópolis-Hercilio Luz International Airport at night, in a severe thunderstorm. The aircraft descended below the minimum altitude and impacted the north side of the hill Morro da Virgínia, some 22 km from the airport.
Initially four of the 58 occupants survived the accident. One survivor later died of injuries sustained in the crash.
Contributing factors:
- Turbulence which made it difficult to maintain the bank angle during a turn, resulting in a 50-second delay in the turn
- Serious electrical interference which disturbed the reception of the signals of the NDB to the extent that it generates a false signal to start the approach
- Descent below the prescribed altitude at the end of the approach turn, triggered by the confidence the crew felt of their safe geographical position
- Strong crosswind, ignored by the crew and Traffic Control, which diverted the aircraft from the normal descent procedure
accident date: 12-04-1980
type: Boeing 727-27C
registration: PT-TYS
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Saturday 12 April 1980 |
| Time: | 20:38 |
| Type: |  Boeing 727-27C |
| Operator: | Transbrasil |
| Registration: | PT-TYS |
| MSN: | 19111/297 |
| First flight: | 1966-07-01 (13 years 10 months) |
| Engines: | 3 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 47 / Occupants: 50 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 55 / Occupants: 58 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 22 km (13.8 mls) NNE of Florianópolis-Hercilio Luz International Airport, SC (FLN) ( Brazil)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, SP (CGH/SBSP), Brazil |
| Florianópolis-Hercilio Luz International Airport, SC (FLN/SBFL), Brazil | |
| Flightnumber: | TR303 |
Transbrasil flight 303, a Boeing 727, struck a hill while on approach to Florianópolis, Brazil.
Flight TR303 departed Belém on the day of the accident and was bound for Porto Alegre, with stops in Fortaleza, Brasília, Vitória, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Curitiba and Florianópolis.
On the leg to Florianópolis the aircraft was flown by an inspector pilot from the Civil Aviation Department, who was training for the Boeing 727's supervisory role. The training was overseen by the captain of the aircraft.
The flight crew conducted an ADF non-precision approach to Florianópolis-Hercilio Luz International Airport at night, in a severe thunderstorm. The aircraft descended below the minimum altitude and impacted the north side of the hill Morro da Virgínia, some 22 km from the airport.
Initially four of the 58 occupants survived the accident. One survivor later died of injuries sustained in the crash.
Probable Cause:
Contributing factors:
- Turbulence which made it difficult to maintain the bank angle during a turn, resulting in a 50-second delay in the turn
- Serious electrical interference which disturbed the reception of the signals of the NDB to the extent that it generates a false signal to start the approach
- Descent below the prescribed altitude at the end of the approach turn, triggered by the confidence the crew felt of their safe geographical position
- Strong crosswind, ignored by the crew and Traffic Control, which diverted the aircraft from the normal descent procedure
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» ICAO Adrep Summary 5/94 (#7)Follow-up / safety actions
Between July 1981 and April 1982 radar, ILS/DME, and VOR were installed at Hercílio Luz Airport.
Photos
accident date: 12-04-1980
type: Boeing 727-27C
registration: PT-TYS
Aircraft history
| date | registration | operator | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 JUL 1966 | N7272 | Braniff Airways | |
| 28 NOV 1975 | PT-TYS | Transbrazil |
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, SP to Florianópolis-Hercilio Luz International Airport, SC as the crow flies is 486 km (304 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, SP to Florianópolis-Hercilio Luz International Airport, SC as the crow flies is 486 km (304 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Boeing 727
- 1832 built
- 33rd loss
- 29th fatal accident
- 15th worst accident (at the time)
- 30th worst accident (currently)
Brazil- The worst accident (at the time)
- 5th worst accident (currently)
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