Lóide Aéreo Nacional S/A was a Brazilian airline founded in 1947 as Transporte Carga Aérea (TCA). It was renamed Lóide Aéreo Nacional in 1949, after it merged with Linhas Aéreas Paulistas (LAP) and Transportes Aéreos Bandeirantes (TABA). It operated until 1962 when it was incorporated into VASP.

History

On December 22, 1947, Ruy Vacani founded the airline TCA – Transportes Carga Aérea S.A. in

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, State of

Goiás Goiás () is a Brazilian States of Brazil, state located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District (Brazil), Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Ge ...

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, an airline specialized in transportation of cargo. Previously, in 1928, Vacani had also founded ETA - Empresa de Transporte Aéreo an airline that lasted for only for one year, being sold to NYRBA do Brasil. Vacani had good political connections with the then president

Getúlio Vargas Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (; ; 19 April 1882 – 24 August 1954) was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the 14th and 17th president of Brazil, from 1930 to 1945 and from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Due to his long and contr ...

, who apparently favored his business. Shareholders of the airline also included Roberto Taves, one of the founders of Aerovias Brasil and Colonel Marcílio Jacques Gibson who in 1976 founded TABA – Transportes Aéreos da Bacia Amazônica. On August 24, 1949, TCA had its name changed to Lóide Aéreo Nacional and started regular passenger flights using

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aircraft, flying from

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to São Luís or

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with intermediate stops. Its operations later grew to include the whole Brazilian territory. In 1951 Lóide Aéreo Nacional incorporated the airlines, Linhas Aéreas Paulistas – LAP and TABA – Transportes Aéreos Bandeirantes, and in 1961 NAB – Navegação Aérea Brasileira. Between 1956 and 1958 Lóide Aéreo Nacional and

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had an agreement to avoid harmful competition, in which the Brazilian territory was divided into areas of influence. It also included leasing of aircraft. Business started to decline in 1960 and finally, in 1962 Lóide Aéreo Nacional was sold and merged into VASP.

Destinations

In January 1956, the network of Lóide Aéreo Nacional comprised 22 locations .

Fleet

Accidents and incidents

Accidents involving fatalities *12 July 1951: a Douglas DC-3/C-47 registration PP-LPG, still registered under Linhas Aéreas Paulistas – LAP, flying from

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, after aborting a landing in adverse conditions in Aracaju, overflew the runway and initiated a turn in low altitude to the right. The aircraft crashed during this turn. All 33 passengers and crew died, including the Governor of the state of

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Jerônimo Dix-sept Rosado Maia. *29 July 1951: a Curtiss C-46A-10-CU Commando registration CB-39, flying from

Cochabamba Cochabamba (; ) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital (political), capital of the Cochabamba Department and the list of cities in Bolivia, fourth largest city in Bolivia, with ...

, probably operating a delivery ferry-flight still bearing the Bolivian registration number, crashed upon take-off. All 7 occupants died. *24 May 1952: a Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando registration PP-LDE, during take-off from Manaus-Ponta Pelada stalled when trying to return to the airport following an engine failure. It crashed into the Rio Negro. The 6 occupants died. *1 February 1958: a

Douglas DC-4 The Douglas DC-4 is an American four-engined (piston), propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Military versions of the plane, the C-54 and R5D, served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960 ...

registration PP-LEM operating the night flight 730 to

, during takeoff from Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont experienced a failure on engine no. 4. Takeoff was aborted and 100m before the end of the runway, a tire from the landing gear burst, causing the aircraft to run off the side of the runway and burst into flames. Of the 72 passengers and crew aboard, 5 died. *11 August 1958: a

registration PP-LEQ crashed for unknown causes over Carapí Island,

Pará Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...

while on a night time visual approach to Belém-Val de Cans. Of the 11 passengers and crew aboard, 1 passenger survived. *5 September 1958: a Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando registration PP-LDX operating flight 652 from

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crashed during approach to Campina Grande Airport. Of a total of 18 people aboard, 2 crew members and 11 passengers died.

References

External links