Rio de Janeiro – São Paulo – Porto Alegre

On August 2, 1949 at 12:00 AM, Rio de Janeiro – São Paulo – Porto Alegre experienced a crash involving Curtiss C-46 Commando, operated by VARIG - Viação Aérea Rio Grandense, with the event recorded near Jaquirana Rio Grande do Sul.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

36 people were known to be on board, 5 fatalities were recorded, 31 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 13.9%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 30, passenger fatalities: 4, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft left São Paulo-Congonhas Airport at 1123LT bound for Porto Alegre. Some 20 minutes prior to the estimated time of arrival, a fire in cargo hold 'G' was noted. The pilot executed an emergency descent while the mechanics tried, in vain, to extinguish the fire. The flight crew members were not able to see their instruments due to heavy smoke and had to keep their heads out of the window to carry out an emergency landing in hilly terrain. The passengers crowded in panic at the forward end of the cabin in an attempt to escape from the fire. This caused a dangerous and sudden change in the Centre of Gravity of the plane. The aircraft swung violently during the landing on rough ground. Source: ASN

Aircraft reference details include registration PP-VBI, MSN 33100, year of manufacture 1945.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -28.8837°, -50.3580°.