Netflix Examines TAM Airlines Flight 3054 Crash, 199 Lives Lost

Netflix's three-part docuseries 'A Tragedy Foretold: Flight 3054' examines the 2007 crash of TAM Airlines Flight 3054 at São Paulo's Congonhas Airport, the deadliest air disaster in Latin American history, which killed 199 people. The series explores the sequence of events leading to the tragedy, highlighting a combination of adverse weather, a slippery runway lacking proper grooving for water drainage, and critical pilot error during landing as major factors. It also contextualizes the crash within a broader crisis in Brazilian aviation at the time, marked by underinvestment in infrastructure, poor working conditions for air traffic controllers, and a growing volume of passengers that outpaced safety improvements. Families of the victims and aviation professionals blame both the airline and Brazilian authorities for neglecting persistent safety risks at overcrowded Congonhas Airport. The documentary uses survivor testimonies, CGI reenactments, and investigative reporting to detail the human, technical, and political consequences of the disaster. Ultimately, it serves as both a tribute to those lost and a cautionary tale about the dangers of systemic neglect in aviation safety.