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Captain César Augusto Padula Garces, aged 32, piloted the flight with First Officer Nelson de Souza Zile, who was only 28 and relatively inexperienced. The aircraft used, a Boeing 737-200, was considered dependable and already 14 years old. Varig Airlines had made significant efforts to ensure the safety of its fleet, making what unfolded a shocking aberration.
As Flight 254 readied for takeoff from Marabá, both pilots made a crucial mistake with respects to the flight's heading. Instead of flying due north toward Belém, they mistakenly set their instruments to a heading of 270 degrees, which pointed them westward into the vast and dense Amazon rainforest. This initial error in navigation would soon escalate into a dire situation.