ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727-27C PT-TYS Florianópolis-Hercilio Luz International Airport, SC (FLN)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Saturday 12 April 1980
Time:20:38
Type:Silhouette image of generic B721 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
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
Destination airport:Florianópolis-Hercilio Luz International Airport, SC (FLN/SBFL), Brazil
Flightnumber:TR303
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.

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:

cover
Investigating agency: SIPAER
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 7 months
Accident number: final report
Download report: Final report

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

photo of Boeing-727-27C-PT-TYS
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.

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)
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 Brazil
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