Transbrasil Flight 303 facts for kids
A Transbrasil Boeing 727 similar to the one involved
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | April 12, 1980 |
| Summary | Pilot error followed by controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) |
| Place | Morro da Virgínia, near Hercílio Luz International Airport, Florianópolis, Brazil |
| Passengers | 50 |
| Crew | 8 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 3 |
| Fatalities | 55 |
| Survivors | 3 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 727-27C |
| Airline/user | Transbrasil |
| Registration | PT-TYS |
| Flew from | Congonhas-São Paulo Airport, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Flying to | Hercílio Luz International Airport, Florianópolis, Brazil |
Transbrasil Flight 303 was a passenger flight that crashed on April 12, 1980. The plane was flying from Congonhas-São Paulo Airport in São Paulo, Brazil, to Hercílio Luz International Airport in Florianópolis, Brazil. Sadly, it crashed as it was getting ready to land. Out of 58 people on board, only three survived the accident.
The Airplane Involved
The aircraft in this accident was a Boeing 727-27C. Its special identification number was PT-TYS. This airplane first flew on August 14, 1966. It was first given to a company called Braniff Airways. Braniff then rented it to Transbrasil in 1975. A year later, in 1976, Transbrasil bought the plane.
What Happened?
The accident happened at night while the plane was trying to land at Hercílio Luz International Airport. There was a very strong thunderstorm happening at the time. The plane went off its planned path. It then hit a hill called Morro da Virgínia and exploded.
Investigators looked into what caused the crash. They found several likely reasons. The pilots might have misjudged how fast they were going and how far away they were from the airport. There might not have been enough supervision of the flight crew. The pilots also did not decide to "go around," which means to stop the landing and try again. Finally, the plane's engines might not have been used correctly.
