Narrative:
A NAMC YS-11, registered PP-SMI, was destroyed when it flew into the side of a mountain while descending for Rio de Janeiro. All 25 on board were killed in the accident. During descent in IMC, the crew tuned the ADF instruments to the wrong NDB station. The crew reported over the AF NDB at FL50 and flew into the side of a mountain two minutes later.
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
| Status: | |
| Date: | Wednesday 12 April 1972 |
| Time: | 21:26 |
| Type: |  NAMC YS-11A-211 |
| Operator: | VASP - Viação Aérea São Paulo |
| Registration: | PP-SMI |
| MSN: | 2059 |
| First flight: | 1968 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 21 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 25 / Occupants: 25 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 50 km (31.3 mls) N of Rio de Janeiro, RJ ( Brazil)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, SP (CGH/SBSP), Brazil |
| Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport, RJ (SDU/SBRJ), Brazil |
A NAMC YS-11, registered PP-SMI, was destroyed when it flew into the side of a mountain while descending for Rio de Janeiro. All 25 on board were killed in the accident. During descent in IMC, the crew tuned the ADF instruments to the wrong NDB station. The crew reported over the AF NDB at FL50 and flew into the side of a mountain two minutes later.
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» Schenectady Gazette - Apr 14, 1972Photos
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 Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport, RJ as the crow flies is 364 km (228 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, SP to Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport, RJ as the crow flies is 364 km (228 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of 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.
languages: 
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NAMC YS-11
- 182 built
- 8th loss
- 4th fatal accident
- 3rd worst accident (at the time)
- 5th worst accident (currently)
Brazil- 19th worst accident (at the time)
- 27th worst accident (currently)
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