Belém – Marabá – Carajás – Brasília

On February 14, 1997 at 12:34 PM, Belém – Marabá – Carajás – Brasília experienced a crash involving Boeing 737-200, operated by VARIG - Viação Aérea Rio Grandense, with the event recorded near Carajás-Parauapebas Pará.

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

54 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 53 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 1.9%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 48, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft departed Belém-Val de Cans Airport on a flight to Brasília with intermediate stops in Marabá and Carajás, carrying 48 passengers and a crew of six. The approach to Carajás-Parauapebas Airport was completed in poor weather conditions with rain falls, clouds down to 120 metres and a limited visibility due to rain and fog. On final the aircraft was unstable and landed hard on runway 10. On touchdown, the right main gear was torn off and the aircraft went out of control. It veered off runway to the right, collided with trees and eventually came to rest in a wooded area. The copilot was killed as the right side of the cockpit was destroyed upon impact. Ten other people were injured and 43 escaped unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.

Aircraft reference details include registration PP-CJO, MSN 21013, year of manufacture 1974.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -6.0705°, -50.0679°.