Crash of the Junkers PP-SPD Cidade de São Paulo

The crash of the Junkers PP-SPD Cidade de São Paulo was an air accident that occurred on 27 August 1943.

Accident

On 27 August 1943, the Cidade de São Paulo took off from Congonhas Airport at 7:30, with landing at Santos Dumont Airport expected at around 9:15. It was carrying eighteen passengers and three crew members, and was commanded by captain Romeu Fávero. During the approach for landing there was dense fog in Rio, and the pilot aborted the first landing attempt. During the manoeuvre to make the second attempt, one of its wings struck a building of the Naval School, located in the north of Villegagnon Island, breaking into three pieces (the wing would fall into the sea, as would most of the fuselage, while only part of the tail would fall into the courtyard of the Naval School), and, out of control, it ended up falling into Guanabara Bay, sinking a few seconds later. After the crash, the cadets of the naval school began rescuing the passengers. Only three passengers would survive the crash. Among the passengers killed were the architect and urban planner Attilio Corrêa Lima, the journalist Cásper Líbero, the archbishop of São Paulo Dom José Gaspar d'Afonseca e Silva and the priests accompanying him: Monsignor Alberto Teixeira Pequeno and Father Nelson Norberto de Sousa Vieira.