Airbus A330 - 203 accident near Fortaleza, Br, September 1, 2013
On September 1, 2013 at about 11:54 pm local time, a Airbus A330 - 203, registered PTMVL, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Fortaleza. 1 person was seriously injured and 14 people had minor injuries; 169 others were unhurt.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. 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
- September 1, 2013 · about 11:54 pm local time
- Place
- Fortaleza, Brazil
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 14 people had minor injuries; 169 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Airbus A330 - 203 203 · all A330 - 203s on the register
- Registration
- PTMVL · no longer on the register · serial 0700
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
The Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center of Brazil (CENIPA) has notified the NTSB of an accident involving an Airbus A330-203, registration PT-MVL, which occurred on September 1, 2013. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Manufacture of an aircraft component. All investigative information will be released by the Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center of Brazil.
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
What happened, in order
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 2 | 11 | |
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 12 | 156 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.