Varig Flight 820 was a flight of the Brazilian airline Varig that departed from Galeão International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 11 July 1973, for Orly Airport, in Paris, France. The plane, a Boeing 707, registration PP-VJZ, made an emergency landing in onion fields about five kilometres from Orly Airport, due to smoke in the cabin from a fire in a lavatory. The fire caused 123 deaths; there were only 11 survivors .
Relief Captain Antonio Fuzimoto was the pilot who handled the controls and landed the plane in the field.
Deployment of emergency services at the crash site.
VARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990, it was Brazil's leading airline and virtually its only international one. In 2005, Varig went into judicial restructuring, and in 2006 it was split into two companies – Flex Linhas Aéreas, informally known as "old" Varig, heir to the original airline – now defunct, and "new" Varig, a new company, fully integrated into Gol Airlines.
de Havilland Dragon Rapide PP-VAN exhibited at the MUSAL
A Douglas DC-3 displayed in Rio de Janeiro
A Fairchild Hiller FH-227B of VARIG at Congonhas Airport Sao Paulo in 1972
Boeing 727-41 of VARIG at São Paulo Congonhas airport in 1972