Crash

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    Prosecutors calling for closure of Sao Paulo airport

    Brazilian prosecutors call for the immediate closure of Sao Paulo’s airport today after the country’s worst air disaster in its history.

    Governor Jose Serra declared that the volume of air traffic at Congonhas must to be drastically. A plane belonging to Brazil’s TAM airlinehit a nearby warehouse and exploded, killing 186 people on board and three on the ground.

    Footage shows Flight 3054 accelerating as it hit the short runway. Authorities believe the pilot tried to abort his landing and take off again.

    Rescue workers suspended the search for victims when the building at the crash scene threatened collapse. 4 Europeans, three from France and one from Portugal, were on board.

    Pilots are instructed to touch down within the first 1,000ft (300m), or pull up and circle round again. Yesterday, another TAM airline jet was rerouted after coming in at an unsafe angle.

    The official statement is that it is necessary to temporarily paralyze the activities at the Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo until a complete renovation of both of its runways can be completed and there is certainty that they are fully secure for full operations.

    The senate leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSDB), Arthur Virgilio – whose colleague, the opposition leader Julio Redecker, was killed in the crash – said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, needed to “act, not to talk…Otherwise his term will be marked by the suffering and pain of so many Brazilians who could still be alive.”

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    Brazil’s Call for Change: A320 Crash

    One day after a TAM Airlines Airbus A320 crashed in Brazil, killing at least 189 people, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations chimed in on Wednesday, “Runways around the world have inadequate overrun areas.”

    The airbus was trying to land on a wet runway at Sao Paulo Cagonhas Airport, and when they were unable to stop, they took off again.

    The airbus managed to clear the airport fence and a highway. However it crashed into a gas station and a building then exploded into flame.

    IFALPA said, Runway-end safety areas should be established at all airports with airline operations, with an overrun space at least 800 feet long or an arrestor system that could halt an errant aircraft.

    The 6,362-foot runway in question has often been criticized as being too short.

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    BRAZIL’S WORST-EVER AIR DISASTER


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Alan Olivieri

    BRAZIL’S WORST-EVER AIR DISASTER
    200 Feared Dead in Sao Paulo Crash

    At least 195 people were killed in Brazil’s worst plane crash, a product of a country with an inadequate air travel network that has been plagued by havoc.

    Witness Paulo Carol imagined he was at the set of a Hollywood disaster film when right in front of his taxi, an airplane crossed six lanes of the Avenida Washington Luis. He and his passengers fled on foot.

    Airbus A-320 operated by the Brazilian airline TAM, skidded off the runway after touching down and collided with cars and through a gas station before slamming into a TAM maintenance building. 180 deaths were passengers on the Airbus jet. Fifteen more deaths included Tam employees in the building.
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    Luiz Santos who barely escaped the explosion, said “The airplane was coming right at me. I could hear the sound of the engines and then it exploded.” His windows and the back end of his truck were shattered, but Santos and his passenger escaped.

    Flight JJ 3054 left Porto Alegre at 5:16 p.m. and landed at Congonhas two hours later. The plane apparently touched down too far down the runway.

    Accidents have made flying in South America dangerous to contemplate. Flight controllers are overworked, underpaid and untrained, and rely on aging and defective radar technology in the Amazon.

    In September, a Gol airlines Boeing 737 collided with a private jet over the Amazon, killing 154. That investigation is ongoing.

    The country’s air travel infrastructure has been unable to keep up with Brazil’s fast economic growth.

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    Brazilian Crash Prompts Probe on Airport Work

    Projects intended To Improve Runway

    BUENOS AIRES, July 18 — Brazil is planning to investigate if recent construction projects intended to improve runways at Congonhas contributed to the TAM crash, which killed at least 189.

    Officials emphasized that it is too soon to determine a specific cause but the world’s worst air crash in five years, is the source of sadness and outrage in Brazil. Critics of Congonhas airport have long predicted an accident like Tuesday’s.

    The Airbus 320, touched down and when the pilot realized he could not stop, he attempted to take off again, narrowly clearing an elevated roadway before crashing into a fuel station and cargo office. The capacity of the plane was 185 adults. The 186 people on board included a baby. The weight of the plane was within approved safety ranges. One day before the crash a small turboprop plane harmlessly slid off the same wet runway.

    Rescue crews continued recovering bodies. Authorities confirmed all 186 fatalities aboard the plane. The number could rise. The “black box” recorder has been delivered to the United States for analysis.

    The 6,362-foot runway at Congonhas is 500 feet shorter than the runway at Reagan National Airport, which is considered too short for large jet landings during rain. The newly repaved runway was scheduled to be grooved to channel rain. as standing water has caused delays in the past.

    A congressional panel is already probing Brazil’s aviation security system. Accusations have been made that airport authorities have taken bribes. Federal police are investigating the airport construction projects.

    The Sao Paulo attorney general’s office closed Congonhas runway to large jets. “The runway needs to be extended by 1,275 feet to provide adequate space to accommodate jetliners…The airport put at risk the lives of passengers, crew members and those living in the surrounding area due to the constant skidding caused by the inefficient drainage system.”

    Responding to objections from airport and airline authorities, an appeals judge lifted the ban. The Airbus 320 was not among those planes that had been restricted from landing.

    In Sao Paulo, South America’s largest city with a population of about 20 million, Congonhas airport is surrounded by densely populated commercial and residential neighborhoods. In 1996, a TAM flight crashed a mile from the runway, missing an elementary school.

    Gideon Ewers said, “Runway excursions account for something like a quarter of accidents. Anytime you run off the runway and are confronted with a steep slope, a sheer drop, a four-lane highway and buildings, it’s not good.” Ewers is with the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations represents pilots from over 90 countries.

    The federation urges authorities to add safety-strip extensions to the ends of runways or install “arrestor beds.”

    Since 2000, there have been seven accidents in Sao Paulo resulting major damage to aircraft. Six occurred upon landing. A Gol Airlines jet collided with a small private plane over the Amazon rain forest, killing all 154 people abpard just ten months ago, but Tuesday’s crash is the deadliest in Brazil’s history.

    A U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has an investigator at the scene to assist in the crash probe. Authorities will be combing the site, checking the runway slickness and the possiblility of pilot error. Former NTSB investigator Ron Schleede said. “Most runway-overrun accidents involve slick surfaces or planes going too fast to stop.” A Miami-based lawyer representing the families of 30 victims of the Gol crash, Ricardo Martinez-Cid said he has been contacted by attorneys for families in Tuesday’s disaster. Court actions could be filed after more evidence has been collected.

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    Almost 200 Feared Dead in Air Crash

    Brazilian officials now fear at least 195 people are dead from Tuesday night’s jetliner crash in Sao Paulo. The TAM airlines Airbus-320 was on a domestic flight to Sao Paulo from the southern city of Porto Alegre when it skidded off the end of the rain-slicked runway, crashed into a gas station and a building and burst into flames.

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    Ciudad: Bell Helicopter Crash kills pilot


    Pictured: a Bell 47G
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jonathan Parra

    What: single-engine Bell 47G helicopter en route from Brownsville Texas to Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
    Where: Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
    When: May 12, 2007 12:35 central daylight time
    Who: Commercial pilot
    Why: Single-engine Bell 47G helicopter collided with the terrain under unknown circumstances near Ciudad Victoria, State of Tamaulipas, in the Republic of Mexico. The helicopter was on a ferry flight to its new owner in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

    The flight originated in Brownsville, Texas, at 11:15, and was destined to an intermediate refueling stop at Ciudad Victoria, Mexico.

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    Double Helicopter Crash on Kauai

    What: Heli-Usa helicopter
    Where: Kauai, Hawaii
    When: 03 10, 2007, 1:05 pm
    Who: four fatalities, 3 injuries
    Why: As a tour was ending, after experiencing hydraulic problems, a helicopter crashed at the the northwest end of Princeville airport a hundred yards from the terminal. A description of the wreckage indicated that the front of the helicopter was torn off, the tail was snapped off, and the rotors were broken. First responders attempted to save the four fatalities.

    The pilot who had 10,000 hours on that helicopter died in the crash.

    Four injured were taken to Wilcox Memorial Hospital. One died en route.

    Nine miles away….

    What: Smokey Mountain Helicopters out of Delaware. It’s the parent company of Inter-Island Helicopter
    Where: North shore of Kauai, Hawaii
    When: 1:05 pm
    Who: five aboard, one fatality, four injuries.
    Why: The pilot heard a loud bang, and lost control of the helicopter, which fell down in a spiral formation on to a Hanalei campsite

    The debris field is spread from the ocean to the beach. A dive team will be searching the ocean for the tail rotor, gear box and drive shaft which were flung afield. Witnesses extricated survivors out of the wreckage

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    CA: Cessna Crash


    Pictured: A Cessna T210N Turbo Centurion
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Mick Bajcar

    What: Cessna T210N
    Where: 3 miles south of Dana Point, California
    When: November 19, 2005
    Who: Pilot and 3 passengers
    Why: The airplane impacted the ocean following a departure from controlled cruise flight, decelerating from 120 to 60 knots spiraling down corkscrew manner before impact. No pre-accident anomalies were noted with any systems examined, and no distress calls or communications preceded or followed the upset. The pilot had moderate to severe coronary artery disease with evidence of at least one prior small heart attack. The combination of coronary artery disease and LVH would have substantially increased the risk for sudden cardiac death in this pilot. Four died in the crash.

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    Cessna Crash in Houston


    Pictured: A representative Cessna 501 Citation I/SP
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jerry Search

    What: Cessna 500
    Where: Houston, TX
    When: November 05, 2005
    Who: pilot and passenger
    Why: The 4,100-hour commercial pilot lost directional control of the single-pilot twin-engine turbojet while taking off, and impacted the ground 3,750 feet from the point of departure. The airplane climbed to approximately 150 feet, rolled to the right, descended, and struck the ground inverted. The weather was day VFR and the wind was reported from 170 degrees at 10 knots. The wreckage revealed that none of the main-entry door latching pins were in fully locked position. The accident occurred on its first test flight out of maintenance. Neither pilot nor passenger survived.

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    Pictured: A Piper PA-46-310P Malibu
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Lindsay Hockey

    What: Piper PA-46-310P Crash
    Where: Houston TX
    When: Sept 17 2005
    Who: 2 fatalities
    Why: The 641-hour private pilot and passenger were departing on a 155-nautical mile night cross-country flight. The tower controller heard a weak transmission that she could not completely understand, but did hear the words “engine” and “power.” The controller asked the pilot to “say again”, but there was no response. She again asked, “say again” and the pilot transmitted, ” I’m going down.” There were no further communications from the pilot. impacting the ground, the airplane cartwheeled. 50 feet wide. Witness reports of the airplane’s flight path along with the wreckage distribution path were consistent with the pilot’s attempt to return to the airport. A post-impact fire consumed the fuselageThe reason for loss of engine power could not be determined.

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    Helios Boeing Crash


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Savvas Petoussis

    What: Helios Airlines Boeing 737-300 en route from Larnaka Airport to Ruzyn? International Airport
    Where: Marathon, Greece
    When: August 14, 2005
    Who: 115 passengers and 6 crew
    Why: Before take-off the crew failed to set the pressurisation system to “Auto,” which is contrary to standard Boeing procedures. Minutes after take-off the cabin altitude horn activated as a result of pressurization. It was, however, misidentified by the crew as a take-off configuration warning, On August 14, 2005, a Helios Airline Boeing 737-300, registered in Cyprus as 5B-DBY crashed into rolling terrain north northeast of Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (LGAV), Athens, Greece. The nearest town to the crash site was Gramitikos, Greece. The aircraft had departed Larnaka Airport, Cyprus, two hours and 57 minutes prior to the accident.

    The NTSB team joined investigators from the Greek Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety Board, the Boeing Company, and CFM, the aircraft’s engine manufacturer. The crash was caused by pilot incapacitation due to hypoxia brought about by depressurization, leading to fuel starvation. 121 died in the crash.

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    Lion Air Crash in Indonesia


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Olaf Juergensmeier

    What: Lion Air flight McDonnell-Douglas en route from Solo City Java Indonesia
    Where: Adi Sumaro Airport
    When: November 30, 2004
    Who: The captain, 1 flight attendant, and 23 passengers were fatally injured; the first officer, 2 flight attendants and 56 passengers were seriously injured; and 84 passengers had minor or no injury
    Why: On November 30, 2004, at 1814 Jakarta time, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-82 Lion Air flight 538, was substantially damaged when it overran runway 26 at Adi Sumaro Airport(SOC), Solo City, Central Java, Indonesia. The captain, 1 flight attendant, and 23 passengers were fatally injured; the first officer, 2 flight attendants and 56 passengers were seriously injured; and 84 passengers received either minor injuries or were not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed; however, rain showers were in the area, and the runway was wet. The flight originated at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. After landing, it continued off the departure end of the runway and impacted the concrete base of a localizer array.

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    Hendrick Motor Sports


    Pictured: A Beech 200 Super King Air
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Carlos Barbosa

    What: Hendrick Motorsports Beechcraft Super King Air 200
    Where: Bull Mountain, seven miles from Blue Ridge Airport,
    When: October 24 2004
    Who: 2 pilots 10 passengers
    Why: On October 24 2004, en route to theNextel Cup Series, a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 owned by Hendrick Motorsports crashed in fog into Bull Mountain, seven miles from Blue Ridge Airport, carrying two pilots and ten passengers. Fatalities included Jon Hendrick and his twin daughters,and Ricky Hendrick. The plane missed its first landing attempt before veering off course and crashing; and the plane had not climbed to its temporarily assigned altitude of 2,600 feet; it instead descended to 1,800 feet before crashing. The cause was ruled failure to use an instrument approach and pilot error

    George’s Point of View

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    Argentina: INCAIR Cessna


    Pictured: A Cessna T210J Turbo Centurion
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Mick Bajcar

    What: INCAIR Cessna T210J en route from alvador de Jujuy to Tucuman
    Where: Rosario, Argentina
    When: May 17, 2004
    Who: pilot and 3 passengers
    Why: On May 17, 2004, a Cessna T210J single-engine, Argentine # LV-JPB from Salvador de Jujuy to Tucuman was destroyed under impact with terrain following a loss of control near Rosario de la Frontera, Province of Salta, Argentina. The pilot and 3 passengers were fatally injured. The airplane, serial number T210-0453, was owned/operated by INCAIR S.R.L., of Tocuman, Argentina. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed.?An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The pilot lost control while in cruise at 16,000 feet. The 1969-model airplane was not equipped with supplemental oxygen.

    George’s Point of View

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    Osteen Florida: Piper Malibu Crash


    Pictured: A Piper PA-46-310P Malibu
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Patric Borg

    What: Piper PA-46-310P
    Where: Osteen Florida
    When: June 14, 2002
    Who: 3 fatalities
    Why: The pilot asked to deviate because he saw “a hole” in the weather. Radar showed a cluster of thunderstorms, level three to four were present in the vicinity of N9143B’s position. N9143B started an uncontrolled descent from FL260 (about 27,500 feet msl). Witnesses reported hearing the engine make a winding noise.?The airplane come out of the clouds about 300 feet above the ground, in a nose low spiral, and the right wing was missing. The ilot’s inadequate weather evaluation resulted in in-flight separation of the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer and the subsequent loss of control and crash.

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    Airbourne Charter Gulfstream, 18 lost


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Andreas Dürr

    What: Airbourne Charter, Inc Gulfstream III en route from Los Angeles to Aspen, Colorado
    Where: Aspen, Colorado
    When: March 29, 2001
    Who: 2 pilots, 1 flight attendant, and 15 passengers
    Why: On March 29, 2001, about 1901:57 mountain standard time, a Gulfstream III, N303GA, owned by Airbourne Charter, Inc., and operated by Avjet Corporation of Burbank, California, crashed while on final approach to runway 15 at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (ASE), Aspen, Colorado. The charter flight had departed Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) about 1711 with 2 pilots, 1 flight attendant, and 15 passengers. The airplane crashed into sloping terrain about 2,400 feet short of the runway threshold. All of the passengers and crewmembers were killed, and the airplane was destroyed.

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    Singapore Airlines Tragedy at Taiwan


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Johan Knijn

    What: Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400
    Where: Taiwan
    When: October 31, 2000,
    Who: 179 people aboard, 83 fatalities, 44 injuries
    Why: On October 31, 2000, approximately 2317 Taiwan time (1517 UTC), Singapore Airlines Flight SQ006 Boeing 747-400 airplane entered the incorrect runway at Chiang- KaiShek (CKS) Airport, Taiwan. Heavy rain and strong winds from typhoon “Xiang Sane” prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane, during the take-off roll, was destroyed by its collision with the runway construction equipment and by post impact fire. There were a total of 179 people on board with 159 passengers, 3 flight crewmembers and 17 cabin attendants. There were a total of 83 fatalities (including 4 cabin crewmembers), and 44 people injured.

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    Airbus: The Gulf Air Tragedy


    Gulf Air A4O-EH .The one in the crash was A40-EK
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Gerard Helmer

    What: Gulf Air Airbus A320-212 en route from Cairo
    Where: Muharraq, Bahrain
    When: August 23, 2000
    Who: 2 pilots, 6 flight attendants, and 135 passengers
    Why: On August 23, 2000, Gulf Air flight 72, Airbus A320-212 crashed in the Arabian Gulf near Muharraq, Bahrain. Flight 72 departed from Cairo International Airport, with 2 pilots, 6 flight attendants, and 135 passengers on board. Cleared to land on runway 12 at Bahrain International Airport, Muharraq, Bahrain, it crashed during a go-around. destroyed by impact forces. All aboard were fatalities. The flight exceeded flap overspeed limits while climbing during the go-around followed by a pitch down and several alerts from the Ground Proximity Warning System before the airplane impacted the water. Cause: pilot error, spatial disorientation

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    Mexico-Bound Taesa Flight 725


    Pictured: sister ship to XA-TKN, Taesa XA-SXV Douglas DC-9-14. This shot was taken in Mexico City at February 10, 1999
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Gerard Helmer

    What: TAESA Douglas DC-9-31 turbojet en route from Uruapan to Mexico City
    Where:
    When: November 9, 1999
    Who: Uruapan
    Why: On November 9, 1999, a Douglas DC-9-31 turbojet transport airplane was destroyed on impact with terrain during initial takeoff climb from the Aeropuerto Nacional Licenciado y General Ignacio Lopez Rayon (UPN), near Uruapan, State of Michoacan, Mexico. Transportes Aereos Ejecutivos S.A. (TAESA),Flight number 725, was on a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Uruapan to Mexico City (MEX). The airline transport rated captain, the first officer, the 3 flight attendants, and the 13 passengers were fatally injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight for which an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

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    Egypt Air Crashes Into Atlantic Ocean


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Frank C. Duarte Jr.

    What: EgyptAir Boeing 767-366ER en route from New York to Cairo
    Where: Atlantic Ocean
    When: October 31, 1999
    Who: 4 flight crewmembers, 10 flight attendants, and 203 passengers
    Why: On October 31, 1999, the EgyptAir Boeing 767-366ER crashed into the Atlantic Ocean 60 miles south of Nantucket. It was en route from New York, to Cairo International Airport, Cairo, Egypt. The flight departed JFK about 0120, with 4 flight crewmembers, 10 flight attendants, and 203 passengers. All 217 people on board were killed.?Visual meteorological conditions prevailed , which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. NTSB determined probable cause to be the airplane’s departure from normal cruise flight and subsequent impact with the Atlantic Ocean as a result of the relief first officer’s flight control inputs. The reason for his actions was not determined.

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    Korean Air Crashes in Pohang


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Gerard Helmer

    What: Korean Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 en route from Seoul to Pohang
    Where: Pohang
    When: March 15, 1999
    Who: 6 crew and 150 passengers
    Why: On March 15, a Korean Air Flight 1533 (McDonnell Douglas MD-83 #HL7570) from Seoul to Pohang departed for Pohang. Weather at Pohang was poor with degraded visibility and gusty 25 knot winds. The pilot failed at the first attempt to land. After the second approach the plane touched down, but overran the runway. The aircraft skidded through 10 antennas, a reinforced barbed wire fence and came to rest against an embankment. The landing snapped the fuselage in half. Damage– Complete destruction of air frame, Injuries– multiple. 6 crew and 150 passengers, no deaths.

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    Silk Air: Accidental or Homicide?


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Vernon

    What: SilkAir Boeing 737-36N en route from Jakarta, Indonesia to Singapore
    Where: Musi River
    When: Dec 19, 1997
    Who: 97 passengers, 7 crew
    Why: SilkAir Flight 185, a Boeing 737-36N, was en route from Jakarta, Indonesia to Singapore, and crashed on 19 December 1997 after abruptly plunging into the Musi River from its 35,000 feet cruise altitude, killing all 97 passengers and 7 crew on board. For no apparent reason, minutes before the crash, the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder stopped recording, at different times, then the aircraft departed level flight and entered a steep vertical dive. All 104 people on board died in the crash. The pilot was deep in debt and had taken out an insurance policy on himself.

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    Near Total loss of Tajikistan Airlines Flight 3183


    Tajikistan Airlines (Tajik Air) Flight 3183 crashed on 15 December 1997 on approach to Sharjah Airport in the United Arab Emirates. Only the navigator, Sergei Petrov, survived of a crew of seven and seventy-nine passengers. The Tupelov crashed into the desert eight miles east of the airport. The controlled flight into terrain originated from Dushanbe Airport Tajikistan. Situational awareness may have been a factor.

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    Korean Air Crash at Nimitz Hill, Guam


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Michel Gilliand

    What: Korean Air Boeing 747-3B5B (747-300) en route from Seoul, Korea to Agana, Guam.
    Where: Nimitz Hill, Guam
    When: August 6, 1997
    Who: 2 pilots, 1 flight engineer, 14 flight attendants, and 237 passengers
    Why: On August 6, 1997, about 0142:26 Guam local time, Korean Air flight 801, a Boeing 747-3B5B (747-300), crashed at Nimitz Hill, Guam. Flight 801 departed from Kimpo International Airport, Seoul, Korea, with 2 pilots, 1 flight engineer, 14 flight attendants, and 237 passengers on board. The airplane had been cleared to land on runway 6 Left at A.B. Won Guam International Airport, Agana, Guam, and crashed into high terrain about 3 miles SW of the airport. 228 were killed, and 23 passengers and 3 flight attendants survived the accident with serious injuries. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and post crash fire. Flight 801 was operating in U.S. airspace as a regularly scheduled international passenger service flight. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause to be the captain’s failure to adequately brief and execute the nonprecision approach and the first officer’s and flight engineer’s failure to effectively monitor and cross-check the captain’s execution of the approach. Contributing to these failures were the captain’s fatigue and Korean Air’s inadequate flight crew training.

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    Tam Crash on Take-off Pilot Error


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Normando Carvalho Jr.

    What: Tam Fokker 100 en route from Sao Paulo to Rio
    Where: residential area 1 mile from Sao Paulo
    When: October 31 1996
    Who: 89 passengers,6 crew and 2 on the ground died.
    Why: Summary: On October 31 1996, about 0545 UTC a Fokker 100, registration PT-MRK, operating as TAM Airlines flight. 402, a shuttle between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, crashed shortly after takeoff from the Congonhas Airport, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The aircraft was destroyed; 89 passengers,6 crew and 2 on the ground died. 3 passengers were Americans .Witnesses reported the aircraft failed to gain altitude after take-off, collided with a tall building and crashed into residential area 1 mile from the end of the departure runway. Pilot error, unfamiliarity with the craft was judged to be partially responsible.