Investigation Summary
The disaster was motivated by a domestic conflict between the pilot, Mauro Milhomem, and his wife, Angela Milhomem. After accusing his wife of infidelity, Milhomem declared his intention to crash an aircraft into the Hotel Presidente, a property owned by his mother-in-law where his wife was staying. On June 1, 1980, Milhomem took off with four passengers on board. Upon reaching the town center, he began performing low-altitude maneuvers to target the hotel. The right wing of the aircraft struck a utility pole, rupturing the fuel tank, and the plane subsequently hit a tree and a second pole. The aircraft failed to hit the intended target, instead impacting a two-story building and coming to rest in an accounting office. The crash resulted in the immediate death of the pilot and three passengers. A fourth passenger died during transport to Goiânia, and two individuals on the ground succumbed to their injuries in the following days, bringing the total fatalities to seven. The tragedy was compounded days later when the pilot's wife reportedly took her own life after facing intense public harassment from local residents who blamed her for the pilot's actions.
Final Conclusions
The investigation by Brazilian authorities determined the crash was a deliberate act of suicide and attempted homicide by the pilot. The pilot's loss of control during the final approach to the target, caused by collisions with obstacles such as trees and utility poles, prevented the aircraft from striking the Hotel Presidente directly, though the resulting impact and fire still caused significant loss of life and property damage.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Embraer EMB-721 Sertanejo
A single-engine light aircraft produced in Brazil under license from Piper Aircraft. It is the Brazilian equivalent of the Piper PA-32R Saratoga.
Interesting Facts
- 01The pilot intended to hit the Hotel Presidente, which was owned by his mother-in-law.
- 02All five occupants of the aircraft (the pilot and four passengers) were killed.
- 03Two individuals on the ground were killed, bringing the total death toll to seven.
- 04The aircraft involved was an Embraer EMB-721 Sertanejo, a licensed version of the Piper PA-32R.
- 05Four people initially survived the crash with injuries and were treated at a local hospital; some of these survivors later succumbed to their injuries.
- 06The pilot's wife, Angela Milhomem, allegedly committed suicide a few days after the disaster due to local harassment.