Boeing 737 incident near Sao Luis, Br, February 5, 2013
On February 5, 2013 at about 2:04 am local time, a Boeing 737, registered PRVBI, was involved in an incident near Sao Luis. It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 52 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 5, 2013 · about 2:04 am local time
- Place
- Sao Luis, Brazil
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 52 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 73V · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- PRVBI · no longer on the register · serial 30246
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On 5 February 2013, at about 0204 UTC time, a B737-73V, registration # PR-VBI, operated by VRG Linhas Aeras GOL, executed a go-around because of an unstabilized approach during their initial approach into Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (SBIZ), Imperatriz, Brazil. Another go-around was executed during the second approach, because fog was obscuring the runway environment. The flight crew then declared emergency due to low fuel and diverted to Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (SBSL), São Luís, Brazil, where the airplane landed uneventfully at 2340 local time. After the engines were shut down, there was 550 kilograms of fuel remaining in the tanks. There were no injuries and no damage to the airplane. The incident is being investigated by the Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center of Brazil (CENIPA). The NTSB has appointed an Accredited Representative to assist the investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Design and Manufacture of the aircraft. All inquiries should be directed to the CENIPA at: Centro de Investigaçáo e Prevençáo de Acidentes Aeronauticos — CENIPA SHIS — QI 05 — Área Especial 12 LAGO SUL Brasilia — DF — CEP 71615-600 Brasil dipaa.spai@cenipa.aer.mil.br
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Vrg Linhas Aereas Group Gol
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 47 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.