Part 2/9:
On this seemingly calm day, the vibrant blue skies over Central Brazil belied the chaos that was about to ensue. Varig, the dominant airline in Brazil at the time, was operating a fleet of Boeing 737s, and Flight 254 was part of a longer journey, connecting various cities. The aircraft set off from São Paulo, heading towards several destinations, with a dependable atmosphere forecasted for the entire route.
The tale begins with the pilots – a captain with almost 7,000 hours of flying experience and a first officer with approximately 900 hours. This significant difference in experience created a steep power gradient in the cockpit, often leading to misunderstandings that would later prove disastrous.