1984 TAM – Transportes Aéreos Regionais Bandeirante accident

The Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante, with registration PP-SBC, operated by Brazilian airline TAM – Transportes Aéreos Regionais, crashed in to a hillside during let-down to land at Macaé.

The Bandeirante was on a domestic charter flight from Rio de Janeiro-Galeão to Macaé when it flew into São João Hill while descending through rain and clouds over the Municipality of São Pedro da Aldeia. All 16 passengers and 2 crew died.

The aircraft had been chartered by Brazil's state oil company Petrobras. Fourteen passengers were members of television crews from four different Brazilian networks, who were being taken to the Campos Basin oil field to prepare a special report; the other two passengers were employees of Petrobras.

The crew cancelled the aircraft's flight plan, which had specified operating under Instrument Flight Rules, and descended visually (under Visual Flight Rules); the aircraft hit a hill and was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire.[1]

The crew had attempted to descend in bad weather, rain and low clouds; and the International Civil Aviation Authority Accident Summary states that [the crew] exercised poor judgement [and] failed to see and avoid objects,...[a] poorly planned [approach] and disregard of good operating practice, were factors.[1]

• Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network