1928 Dornier J Santos Dumont crash

Last updated
1928 Dornier J Santos Dumont crash
IDIAR-1.jpg
A Dornier Do J
Accident
DateDecember 3, 1928;95 years ago (1928-12-03)
Summary Mid-air collision
Site Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro,
Total fatalities14
Total injuries0
Total survivors0
First aircraft
Type Dornier Do J
OperatorSyndicato Condor
Registration P-BACA (Santos Dumont)
Flight origin Rio de Janeiro
Destination Rio de Janeiro
Occupants14
Passengers9
Crew5
Fatalities14
Survivors0
Second aircraft
Type Dornier Do J
OperatorSyndicato Condor
RegistrationP-BAIA (Guanabara)
Flight origin Rio de Janeiro
Occupants5
Crew5
Fatalities0
Survivors5

On 3 December 1928, a Dornier Do J seaplane named after the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont crashed into Guanabara Bay, Brazil, during the celebrations for the return of the aviator to his homeland. [1]

Contents

On that occasion, several honours were organized, including the over-flight of the SS Cap Arcona ship by two Do Js flying boats of the Condor Syndicate. [2]

Accident

The SS Cap Arcona in 1927. Cap Arcona 1.JPG
The SS Cap Arcona in 1927.

The Dornier Do Js, P-BAIA Guanabara and P-BACA Santos Dumont, took off from Guanabara Bay and flew over the Cap Arcona, where they sent welcome messages to Alberto Santos Dumont. The Santos Dumont was flown by August Wilhem Paschen and was carrying nine passengers and crew, including friends of Santos Dumont and personalities of the time. [2]

Due to the error of one of the pilots, the two aircraft entered a collision course, forcing the pilots to perform evasive maneuvers. The Guanabara escaped unscathed from the near collision, but the Santos Dumont crashed into Guanabara Bay, watched by the crew and passengers of the Arcona, including Santos Dumont. [2] Depressed, he suspended the festivities and returned to Paris. Despite rescue efforts led by the Brazilian Navy destroyers Amazonas and Pará, only the mechanic of the aircraft, Walter Hasseldorf, survived the crash, dying hours later.

During the removal of the bodies and the remains of the aircraft, a Brazilian Navy diver died. [1]

Consequences

After witnessing the accident, Santos Dumont became depressed, canceling the festivities and returning to France. His depression worsened and he ultimately committed suicide in 1932. This was the first accident with a commercial aircraft in Brazil, although it was not operating commercially that day, generating great commotion with the press and public opinion. [2]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

Viação Aérea São Paulo S/A, better known as VASP, was an airline with its head office in the VASP Building on the grounds of São Paulo–Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, Brazil. It had main bases at São Paulo's two major airports, São Paulo–Congonhas Airport (CGH) and São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salgado Filho Porto Alegre International Airport</span> Brazilian airport

Porto Alegre–Salgado Filho International Airport is the airport serving Porto Alegre and the region of Greater Porto Alegre, Brazil. Since October 12, 1951, it is named after the Senator and first Minister of the Brazilian Air Force Joaquim Pedro Salgado Filho (1888–1950).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">São Paulo–Congonhas Airport</span> Domestic airport in São Paulo, Brazil

São Paulo/Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre AirportPortuguese pronunciation:[kõˈɡõɲɐs] is one of the four commercial airports serving São Paulo, Brazil. The airport is named after the neighborhood where it is located, called Vila Congonhas, property of the descendants of Lucas Antônio Monteiro de Barros (1767–1851), Viscount of Congonhas do Campo, first president of the province of São Paulo after the independence of Brazil in 1822, during the Empire. In turn, the Viscount's domain was named after the plural of a shrub known in Brazil as congonha-do-campo. Since June 19, 2017, it is officially named after Deputy José Freitas Nobre. The name Congonhas, however, remains mostly used. It is owned by the City of São Paulo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santos Dumont Airport</span> Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Santos Dumont Airport is the second major airport serving Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is named after the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont (1873–1932). It is operated by Infraero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saab 90 Scandia</span> Type of aircraft

The Saab 90 Scandia was a civil passenger aeroplane, manufactured by Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (SAAB), in Linköping, Sweden. In 1944, as it was becoming clear that hostilities in Europe would soon be at an end, SAAB realised that the company had to diversify from purely military endeavours if it were to survive. The board therefore decided to put into action a plan to manufacture a twin-engined, short- to medium-haul passenger aircraft, as a successor for the Douglas DC-3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panair do Brasil</span> Former airline of Brazil

Panair do Brasil was an airline of Brazil. it ceased operations in 1965. Between 1945 and 1965, it was considered to be the largest carrier not only in Brazil but in all of Latin America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul</span> 1927–1993 Brazilian airline

Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul was the second oldest airline of Brazil, tracing its origins to 1927, when it was founded as Syndicato Condor, a subsidiary of Deutsche Luft Hansa. Syndicato Condor retained rights and interests of a former German trade company, Condor Syndikat, which previously operated passenger and mail services in Brazil. It was renamed Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul in 1943. In 1975, Varig, a Brazilian airline which shared very similar origins, acquired its controlling shares. In 1993, it was finally merged into Varig.

RealTransportes Aéreos was a Brazilian airline founded in 1945. It was merged into Varig in 1961, when Varig bought the Consórcio Real-Aerovias-Nacional, of which Real was the main carrier.

Paraense Transportes Aéreos was a Brazilian airline founded in 1952. It ceased operations in 1970.

Lóide Aéreo Nacional S/A was a Brazilian airline founded in 1947 as Transporte Carga Aérea (TCA). It was renamed Lóide Aéreo Nacional in 1949, after it merged with Linhas Aéreas Paulistas (LAP) and Transportes Aéreos Bandeirantes (TABA). It operated until 1962 when it was incorporated into VASP.

Transportes Aéreos Nacional was a Brazilian airline founded in 1946. It was merged into Varig in 1961, when Varig bought the Consórcio Real-Aerovias-Nacional, of which Transportes Aéreos Nacional was one of the partners.

Ponta Pelada Airport was the civilian airport of Manaus, Brazil, until 1976. Between 1970 and 1976, the facilities were shared with Manaus Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force. On March 31, 1976, all civilian operations were transferred to the newer Eduardo Gomes International Airport. During this transition, Ponta Pelada Airport was renamed Manaus Air Force Base handling military operations exclusively under the control of the Brazilian Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varig Flight 837</span> 1967 aviation accident

Varig Flight 837 was a flight from Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy to Roberts International Airport, Monrovia, Liberia, originating in Beirut, Lebanon. On 5 March 1967, due to pilot error, the flight crashed during approach to Runway 04 of Roberts International Airport. Of the 71 passengers and 19 crew on board, 50 passengers and the flight engineer perished. In addition, 5 people on the ground were also killed. The aircraft caught fire and was written off. This is the worst aviation accident in Liberia to this day.

VARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990, it was Brazil's leading airline and virtually its only international one. In 2005, Varig went into judicial restructuring, and in 2006 it was split into two companies – Flex Linhas Aéreas, informally known as "old" Varig, heir to the original airline – now defunct, and "new" Varig, a new company, fully integrated into Gol Airlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 Rio de Janeiro mid-air collision</span> 1960 aviation accident

The 1960 Rio de Janeiro mid-air collision was an aerial collision between two aircraft over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on February 25, 1960. A United States Navy Douglas R6D-1 (DC-6A) flying from Buenos Aires-Ezeiza to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão Air Force Base collided 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comandante Gustavo Kraemer Airport</span> Airport in Brazil

Comandante Gustavo Kraemer International Airport is the airport serving Bagé, Brazil. Since February 8, 1952, it is named after Captain Gustavo Ernesto de Carvalho Kraemer (1911–1950), founder and pilot of the airline SAVAG, killed on an air-crash in 1950.

Linhas Aéreas Paulistas (LAP) was a Brazilian airline founded in 1943. In 1951 it was bought and merged into Lóide Aéreo Nacional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportes Aéreos Regionais da Bacia Amazônica</span> Brazilian airline

TABA – Transportes Aéreos Regionais da Bacia Amazônica was a Brazilian airline founded in 1976. It ceased operations in 1999.

Viação Aérea Brasil S/A commonly known by its acronym Viabras was a Brazilian airline founded in 1946. In 1953 it was sold to Transportes Aéreos Nacional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1952 Palmeiras de Goias Transportes Aéreos Nacional Douglas C-47 crash</span> 1952 aviation accident

The 1952 Transportes Aéreos Nacional Douglas C-47 mid-air fire occurred on 12 August 1952 when a Douglas C-47A registered PP-ANH was destroyed after a in-flight fire caused it to crash near Palmeiras de Goiás, Brazil.

References

  1. 1 2 "A catastrophe do hydro-avião "Santos Dumont"" [The catastrophe of the Santos Dumont Seaplane]. Folha da Manhã. Vol. Ano IV, no. 1297. December 4, 1928. pp. 1, 4–5. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Silva, Carlos Ari Cesar Germano da (2008). O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes[The witch's trail: history of Brazilian commercial aviation in the 20th century through its accidents] (in Brazilian Portuguese). EDIPUCRS. pp. 18–21.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.