1990 TAM Linhas Aéreas accident in Bauru

The 1990 TAM Linhas Aéreas crash in Bauru occurred on 12 February 1990. On a domestic flight of the Brazilian airline TAM Linhas Aéreas from São Paulo to Bauru, a pilot error led to a loss of engine power on a Fokker F-27 Friendship 200, which then crashed. Three people were killed in the incident.

Accident sequence

The Fokker took off from São Paulo-Congonhas Airport (CGH) on a domestic flight to Bauru. The pilot flying was a captain in training, who was accompanied by an instructor and an examiner. Because of congestion on the frequency of the Brasília area control centre, the descent from an altitude of 14,000 feet (approx. 4270 metres) was initiated when the aircraft was 50 kilometres from Bauru, instead of the otherwise usual 75 kilometres. After a rapid descent to 4000 feet (approx. 1220 metres), the plan to carry out an instrument approach was dropped and the crew continued with an approach to runway 32 under visual flight rules. The trainee pilot felt uneasy because the aircraft was flying too fast and was too close to the airport. The instructor wanted the approach to be continued and instructed the pilot flying to extend the landing gear and to change the lift devices from 16 to 40 degrees. The aircraft's speed decreased to 135 knots (approx. 250 km/h), which was still too fast. After the pilot once again asked his instructor who would land the aircraft, the latter answered that he should carry out the approach and landing. The pilot flying was unsettled by the fact that the instructor was also holding on to his control column. Because of the incorrect approach configuration, he asked once more who would carry out the landing and stated that he wanted to fly a loop in order to correct the aircraft's alignment for landing. Finally the instructor took the controls. Engine thrust was reduced in order to slow the aircraft down and configure it correctly for landing. The Fokker descended at a high rate of 2500 feet per minute (approx. 760 metres per minute), while the speed was still 130 knots (approx. 240 km/h).

The aircraft touched down nose wheel first on runway 32, 775 metres past the threshold. The aircraft then bounced back up, floated over the runway and touched it alternately with the right and the left main landing gear. The instructor realised that he would no longer be able to bring the aircraft to a stop on the remaining section of the runway. He then initiated a go-around. In doing so he did not increase thrust gradually, as the operations manual prescribed, but abruptly. As a result, the turbine exhaust gas temperature (TGT) rose into the critical range. The engines' combustion chambers received too much fuel. Because of the low rotational speed of the propellers, not enough air got into the engines to ignite the kerosene-oxygen mixture. In addition, because of the steep angle of attack during the climb, too much air was drawn into the engines. Neither engine developed enough power to keep the aircraft in the air. The Fokker descended and collided with several obstacles on the ground, including a car. A fire broke out.