VASP Flight 168


VASP Flight 168, a Boeing 727-212, serial number 21347, registered PP-SRK, was a scheduled passenger flight from São Paulo to Fortaleza, Brazil which, on June 8, 1982, crashed into terrain while descending into Fortaleza, killing all 137 people on board.
The crash of Flight 168 remains the third-highest death toll of any aviation accident in Brazil after Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 and TAM Airlines Flight 3054.

Flight history

Flight 168's first leg was from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, which was completed uneventfully. The flight then departed Rio de Janeiro for Fortaleza. As the flight approached its destination, it was cleared to descend from its cruising altitude of flight level 330 – approximately mean sea level – to. Flying at night, with the lights of the city of Fortaleza in front, the Boeing 727 descended through its clearance limit, and kept descending until it crashed into a mountainside at, killing all 137 on board. The dead included renowned Brazilian industrialist Edson Queiroz.

Investigation

Investigation revealed that the captain, possibly disoriented due to bright lights from the city ahead, continued the descent well below the clearance limit, despite being warned twice by the altitude alert system, as well as by the co-pilot, of the terrain ahead. As the Boeing kept descending, it struck a wooded mountainside at and crashed.
From the final cockpit voice recorder translated transcript:

F/O = First Officer

CAPT = Captain



F/O: Can you see there are some hills in front?

CAPT: What? There's what?

F/O: Some hills, isn't there?