Transbrasil Flight 801
Boeing 707-349C · Stall caused by pilot error on approach
From Eduardo Gomes International Airport (MAO) to São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU)
Event
- Event typeAccident: someone killed or seriously injured, or the aircraft substantially damaged (NTSB definition). Incident: an occurrence that affected or could have affected safety, short of that. Glossary
- Accident
- Event fatalities
- 25 · all aircraft and ground
- Ground fatalities
- 22
- Occupants
- 3
- Survivors
- 0
- InjuriesFatal: death within 30 days. Serious: over 48 hours in hospital within a week, most broken bones, severe bleeding, nerve or organ damage, or serious burns. Minor: anything less. Glossary
- About 200 · all on the ground
- OperationWhat kind of flying it was, grouped by the rules it flew under: airline (US Part 121), air taxi and commuter (Part 135), general aviation (Part 91 and similar), military or government. Glossary
- Airline
Boeing 707-349C
- Flight
- TR801
- Aircraft type
- Boeing 707
- Category
- Airplane · from aircraft type
- RegistrationThe aircraft's tail number, such as N12345 or G-ABCD. Registrations are reissued, so the same one years apart can be a different aircraft. Glossary
- PT-TCS
- Operator
- Transbrasil
- Onboard fatalities
- 3
- Route
- From Eduardo Gomes International Airport (MAO)To São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU)
Cause areas
- Personnel issues › Task performance
From the investigation findings the Wikipedia article reports, sorted into the NTSB's cause areas with AI assistance.
Approximate · Estimated position: Guarulhos, near the place the Wikipedia article names. Not the accident site.
From the Wikipedia article
Transbrasil Flight 801 (TR801/TBA801) was a scheduled cargo flight from Eduardo Gomes International Airport to São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport that crashed on 21 March 1989. The Boeing 707 crashed into a heavily populated slum in Guarulhos 2 km from the runway. The crash resulted in the death of all 3 crew members and 22 people on the ground. 200 people were injured.
Accident
The accident occurred at 11:54 am, Brasilia time. The aircraft was making a high speed approach to runway 09R of São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport as the runway was set to be closed in 6 minutes' time for runway maintenance. One of the crew members activated the spoilers by mistake. This resulted in the aircraft losing too much airspeed and stalling. The aircraft then crashed into a residential area near Rua Regente Feijó and Rua Sandovalina in the Jardim Scyntila neighborhood approximately 2 km from the runway. The aircraft was carrying over 15,000 L of jet fuel at the time of impact, which caught fire immediately, resulting in the death of all 3 crew members on board and 22 civilians in the slums along with over 200 injured. The aircraft was loaded with 26 t of television sets and toys from the Manaus Free Trade Zone, all of which were destroyed. This was the first serious crash since the inauguration of São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport on 20 January 1985.
Investigation and cause
Investigation and aftermath
The investigation carried out by the Department of Civil Aviation at the time indicated that the accident was caused by human error. The aircraft had been inspected two months before the accident and was considered "fit" to operate.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Transbrasil Flight 801” (revision 1368643505, retrieved 2026-09-18) by its authors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Extracted as plain text: references, tables, images and some sections are left out. Read the article
Sources
Wikipedia article: Transbrasil Flight 801
- Article
- Transbrasil Flight 801
- Revision
- 1368643505 · 2026-08-10 · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Wikidata
- Q10392510
- Licence
- Text CC BY-SA 4.0, by the article's authors; Wikidata CC0; town positions GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
Where each value comes from
- Record
- Wikipedia article "Transbrasil Flight 801" (page 58684836, revision 1368643505)
- Date
- Wikipedia infobox: date
- Place and country
- Wikipedia infobox: site
- Map position
- place the Wikipedia infobox site links (Wikidata coordinates)
- Aircraft, operator and route
- Wikipedia infobox: aircraft type, registration, operator, origin and destination; route airports from the linked airport articles' Wikidata codes (OurAirports)
- Operation
- airline flight number in the infobox
- Fatalities
- Wikipedia infobox: total_fatalities
- Ground fatalities
- Wikipedia infobox: ground fatalities
- Summary
- Wikipedia infobox: summary
Source notes (1)
- Wikipedia · Facts from the Wikipedia article's infobox and coordinates, not checked against an investigation report. Independent review pending.