1960 Rio de Janeiro mid-air collision

1960 Rio de Janeiro air crash

Accident summary
Date	February 25, 1960
Summary	Mid-air collision
Site	Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Total fatalities	61
Total survivors	3
First aircraft
Type	Douglas R6D-1 (DC-6A)
Operator	United States Navy
Registration	131582
Flight origin	Buenos Aires-Ezeiza
Destination	Galeão Air Force Base
Passengers	31
Crew	7
Survivors	3
Second aircraft
Type	Douglas DC-3
Operator	Real Transportes Aéreos
Flight origin	Campos dos Goytacazes
Destination	Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport
Passengers	23
Crew	3
Survivors	0

The 1960 Rio de Janeiro air crash was an aerial collision between two aircraft over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on February 25, 1960. In the crash, a United States Navy Douglas R6D-1 (DC-6A) (BuNo 131582) flying from Buenos Aires-Ezeiza to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão Air Force Base collided in the air over Guanabara Bay, close to the Sugarloaf Mountain with a Real Transportes Aéreos Douglas DC-3 registration PP-AXD operating flight 751 from Campos dos Goytacazes to Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport. The crash occurred at 16:10 local time at an altitude of 1,600 meters (5,249 feet).^[1][2][3][4]

The US Navy aircraft was carrying members of the United States Navy Band to Brazil to perform at a diplomatic reception attended by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Of the 38 occupants of the American aircraft, 3 survived. All 26 passengers and crew of the Brazilian aircraft died. The probable causes of the accident are disputed but include human error, both air and ground, and faulty equipment.^[5][6]

References

1. "Accident description 131582". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
2. "Accident description PP-AXD". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
3. Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César (2008). "Torre de Babel". O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928-1996 (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 182–186. ISBN 978-85-7430-760-2.
4. Pereira, Aldo (1987). Breve história da aviação comercial brasileira (in Portuguese). Europa. p. 286.
5. Ruane, Michael E. (February 26, 2010). "Friends, Musicians Honor Victims Of 1960 Navy Band Crash". Washington Post. p. B1. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
6. Eisenhower's Tour of Latin America, 61 Die in Air Crash. World News Digest. March 2, 1960.