Jaguarão – Rio Grande – Pelotas – Porto Alegre

On April 12, 1960 at 02:20 PM, Jaguarão – Rio Grande – Pelotas – Porto Alegre experienced a crash involving Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3), operated by Cruzeiro do Sul, with the event recorded near Pelotas Rio Grande do Sul.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

22 people were known to be on board, 10 fatalities were recorded, 12 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 45.5%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 19, passenger fatalities: 8, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew was completing a flight from Jaguarão to Porto Alegre with intermediate stops at Rio Grande and Pelotas on behalf of Varig. During the takeoff roll, the airplane deviated to the right. The pilot-in-command elected to regain control but due to over-correction, the airplane turned sharply to the left, swung on runway and eventually veered off runway to the left before colliding with two parked DC-3 (registered PP-ABZ and PP-HDJ). A fire erupted and all three aircraft were destroyed by fire. While both other aircraft were empty at the time of the accident, both pilots and eight passengers were killed, the other occupants were injured.

Aircraft reference details include registration PP-CDS, MSN 4823, year of manufacture 1941.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -33.7509°, -53.3945°.