Prior to takeoff from Marabá, the crew entered an incorrect heading into the flight computer, flying deep into a remote area of the Amazon jungle.

[4][5] Attempts to reach an alternative airport were unsuccessful and the plane eventually ran out of fuel,[6] crashing during a belly landing in the jungle[7] 1,700 kilometres (920 nautical miles) northwest of Rio de Janeiro.

After setting the HSI, Garcez programmed the aircraft performance management system (PMS)[13][14] to the distance to Belém (346 kilometres or 187 nautical miles).

When co-captain Zille got to his seat, instead of checking his own flight plan to adjust his HSI – as he was required to do – he only referenced the captain's indicator and set his to match it.

Upon performing his descent, the captain found it very odd that he could not recognize any of the characteristic geographical features of the Belém area (such as the Marajó Island and the Amazon River estuary), and even asked the tower controller if the city was without electricity.

After the PMS started indicating negative distance to its destination, Captain Garcez decided to execute a 180° turn and locate Belém visually.

Reluctant to use the HF radio to request help, the captain decided to take visual reference from a river he located below the plane, believing it to be the Amazon.

After some calculations, Garcez realized that the aircraft did not have the necessary fuel to reach Santarém, and he started heading south again (along the now properly identified Xingu River).

Realizing that he would not have enough fuel to reach Belém, the captain decided to head for Carajás Airport, which would have been the correct decision if he had not mistaken Goiânia for Marabá.

Another opportunity to solve the situation was missed around 20:30, when the flight passed within 190 km (100 nmi) of the Serra do Cachimbo Air Force Base, a very large airfield, which the 737 could have successfully reached.

Garcez and Zille decided to fly at 8,000 ft (2,400 m) until they ran out of fuel, thus avoiding a possible explosion upon landing, and with the engines on, they would still have hydraulic power to command the aircraft's ailerons and flaps.

The only things the crew could see on the horizon were faint light spots due to distant forest burnings, and at 21:06, local time, the plane crash-landed over treetops that extended over 50 m (160 ft) above ground.

The deceleration due to the crash was such that passengers without fastened seatbelts were flung to the front of the airplane, and some seats detached from the floor, also racing forward.

When the aircraft fell through the foliage, two thick trees tore away both wings, and caused a severe torsion of the fuselage, which contributed to more seats detaching, and to the collapsing of the false roof over the passengers' heads.

With the help of radio operator João Capanema Jr., they were able to contact Franca Airport, 400 km (220 nmi) north of São Paulo, and at 16:27, an Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante airplane from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) dropped food packages over the wreckage.