Crash of an Embraer EMB-820C Navajo in Varginha

Date & Time: Feb 22, 2001 at 1935 LT
Operator:
Registration:
PT-LFP
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Varginha – Belo Horizonte
MSN:
820-038
YOM:
1977
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
1959
Captain / Total hours on type:
213.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
658
Copilot / Total hours on type:
276
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Varginha-Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky Airport on a mail flight to Belo Horizonte-Pampulha Airport with two pilots on board. After takeoff, while in initial climb, the right engine lost power. The aircraft lost height and crash landed in an open field. It slid for about 100 metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. Both pilots escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
Loss of power on the right engine for undetermined reasons. The following findings were identified:
- Poor flight preparation on part of the crew,
- The crew did not know the exact weight of the mail/cargo,
- The crew did not have sufficient training/instruction regarding a possible loss of engine power at takeoff,
- Poor engine maintenance as the right engine had experienced power issues in the past that had not been resolved,
- Poor crew coordination,
- When the loss of power occurred on the right engine, the captain asked the copilot to raise the landing gear and preferred to resolve the emergency situation alone,
- Poor evaluation of the aircraft performances on part of the crew in regard of the weight and balance values and CofG.
Final Report:

Crash of a Mitsubishi MU-2B-25 Marquise in Macapá

Date & Time: Feb 10, 2001 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PT-LEW
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Belém – Macapá
MSN:
244
YOM:
1972
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3680
Captain / Total hours on type:
55.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
4512
Copilot / Total hours on type:
644
Circumstances:
On final approach to Macapá Airport, the left engine exploded and caught fire. The aircraft lost height, descended below the glide and eventually crash landed in a grassy area to the right of the runway and came to rest, bursting into flames. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the second stage of the high pressure compressor disk in the left engine. Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the this failure, maybe following fatigue cracks or a construction defect. It was reported that the left engine accumulated 3,000 flying hours since the last compressor overhaul.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II in Água Comprida: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 12, 2001 at 1900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PT-OZY
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Goiânia – Ribeirão Preto
MSN:
31-7820030
YOM:
1978
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Goiânia on a private flight to Ribeirão Preto, carrying four passengers and two pilots, the aircraft's owner and a friend. Three minutes after being cleared by Brasilía Control Center, at an altitude of 18,000 feet, the pilot informed ATC about poor weather conditions and severe turbulences. Shortly later, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a sugarcane field located near Água Comprida. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all six occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the pilot lost control of the aircraft in poor weather conditions after he suffered a spatial disorientation. The following contributing factors were identified:
- Poor flight preparation,
- Poor weather conditions with atmospheric turbulences,
- The pilot showed anxiety and complacency,
- The pilot was not properly licensed to operate in IFR conditions,
- The pilot was inexperienced,
- The pilot's actions were likely inappropriate while facing an unexpected situation.
Final Report:

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-21 Islander near Cascalho: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 2001 at 1440 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
PT-KNE
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Paramirim - Paramirim
MSN:
696
YOM:
1973
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
3886
Captain / Total hours on type:
3263.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
6088
Copilot / Total hours on type:
23
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Paramirim Airport at 1400LT on a 3-hours ore prospecting flight, carrying two pilots and one passenger. En route, weather conditions worsened and the crew apparently decided to return to Paramerim when he encountered atmospheric turbulences and windshear. The aircraft stalled and crashed in a mountainous area. After 17 hours without contact, the aircraft was declared as missing. Its wreckage was found the following day at 1800LT near the summit of Mt Serra Preta, near Cascalho, about 27 km east of Paramirim. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control after the crew encountered adverse weather conditions with low level windshear. The following contributing factors were identified:
- Although the operations were carried out in accordance with the regulations in force, the pilots regularly exceeded the flight times and this type of prospecting mission is extremely tiring insofar as it is systematically operated at low altitude without the aid of the autopilot system in a high outside temperature environment, leading to greater than normal physical wear of the pilots,
- Poor flight preparation regarding the probable evolution of the weather conditions,
- The accident occurred in low visibility as the crew was presumably trying to return to his base,
- The accident occurred outside of the intended flight area,
- The flight, which was scheduled to take three hours, was started with an aircraft whose tanks were full (seven hours autonomy), unnecessarily increasing its weight,
- Poor flight planning,
- Non-compliance with standard operator procedures on part of the crew who positioned the flaps in an inappropriate angle to fly over obstacles,
- In the days preceding the accident, two incidents occurred at Paramirim Airport involving the captain, and neither of these two events had been reported to the management of the operator, indicating the absence of an effective control of operations,
- The supervision of crew schedules was poor,
- The operator wanted this type of flight to be carried out in the morning in order to avoid atmospheric turbulence specific to the region, but the crew decided to take off in the afternoon when the conditions were not favorable.
Final Report:

Crash of an Embraer EMB-820C Navajo in Jequié: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 2001
Operator:
Registration:
PT-EFA
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Ilhéus – Jequié
MSN:
820-025
YOM:
1976
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
15536
Captain / Total hours on type:
10179.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
650
Circumstances:
On approach to Jequié Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. While descending too low in the Vale de Pedra, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed few km from the airport. The captain was killed and the copilot was seriously injured. He died few hours later.
Probable cause:
The crew continued the descent under VFR mode in IMC conditions and descended too low to maintain a visual contact with the ground until the aircraft impacted terrain. The following contributing factors were identified:
- Poor crew coordination,
- Lack of visibility,
- The crew failed to follow the published procedures.
Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 in Anápolis

Date & Time: Dec 19, 2000 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
SP-FLU
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Canarana – Anápolis
MSN:
1G237-33
YOM:
1989
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total hours on type:
250.00
Circumstances:
After being ferried from Alta Floresta following maintenance, the pilot was completing a flight from Canarana to Anápolis with two passengers on board. Upon touchdown on runway 07, he encountered crosswinds from the left and lost control of the airplane that veered off runway to the right. It flew over a ravine, struck irregularities in the terrain and came to rest. All three occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The aircraft was still operated under a Polish registration SP-FLU while this was already cancelled. The owner was in the process of applying for a Brazilian certificate of registration.
Probable cause:
The following findings were identified:
- It was not possible to determine the contribution of the physiological aspect because the pilot was not found and his license had expired.
- At the critical moment of landing, a state of indecision was triggered in the pilot regarding the procedure to be adopted (landing or going around), impairing its decision-making capacity and causing delay in decision making.
- The pilot did not act adequately on the aircraft controls in order to counteract the action of the crosswind, allowing the aircraft to stand to the right of the approach axis and touch the right side of the runway. Subsequently, he was unable to prevent the left wings from climbing, causing the lower right wing to touch the ground and exit the runway.
- The pilot's decision not to go around immediately when he noticed the first signs of the aircraft's turning tendency, forced by the wind effect and, consequently, having lost full control of the aircraft, contributed to the worsening of the subsequent facts. The pilot acted belatedly when he decided to go around.
- The owner of the aircraft no longer verified that the technical qualification and the Certificate of Physical Capacity of the pilot were up to date for the performance of the air activity, as well as the certificates necessary for the operation of the aircraft. It also went against what prescribes the CTA certification, which establishes two pilots as the minimum crew for the aircraft.
- The left cross wind, associated with the inadequacy of the pilot's controls to counteract it, resulted in the right wing touching the ground, with consequent loss of control of the aircraft.
- The pilot failed to carry out a readaptation flight in the aircraft with a qualified instructor, being for more than three years without flying in the equipment.
Final Report:

Crash of a Rockwell 681BT Turbo Commander in São Paulo: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 2000 at 2120 LT
Registration:
PT-IEE
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
São Paulo – Maringá
MSN:
681-6071
YOM:
1972
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Captain / Total flying hours:
5000
Captain / Total hours on type:
600.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2500
Copilot / Total hours on type:
200
Circumstances:
After takeoff from runway 17 at São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, the crew was cleared to climb to 5,500 feet maintaining heading 270. Weather conditions were poor with clouds, atmospheric turbulences and strong winds. At an altitude of 5,300 feet, the aircraft lost height and descended to 4,700 feet, an altitude that was maintained for 17 seconds. Then the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in four houses located in the district of Vila Anhanguera, about 5,5 km southwest of the airport. The aircraft and all four houses were destroyed. All seven occupants were killed while on the ground, six people were injured, one seriously.
Probable cause:
The accident occurred in poor weather conditions. It was determined that during initial climb, the aircraft's attitude, speed and altitude varied suddenly and rapidly, causing the pilot flying a stressful situation insofar as he believed that artificial horizons presented technical problems. In such a situation, investigators consider probable the hypothesis that the pilot made inadequate corrections, exacerbating the abnormal situation in which he was operating. The following contributing factors were identified:
- The crew were suffered fatigue because they had been on duty for more than 15 hours and were unable to observe satisfactory rest time at Congonhas airport,
- This fatigue certainly affected the pilots in their decision-making,
- The urge to return home and distrust of instruments in difficult flight conditions seriously compromised the performance of pilots and their ability to make decisions,
- A direct contact with passengers was stressful as they were going through a period of mourning and were eager to return home to Maringá,
- Weather conditions were unfavorable and contributed to the anxiety of the crew,
- Poor assessment of these conditions by the pilots,
- The working time of the pilots exceeded the limitations and the operator did not take into account adequate rest conditions for the crew,
- The training of the captain in instrument flights in recent months was insufficient.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft E90 King Air near Goiânia

Date & Time: May 30, 2000 at 1620 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PP-EFC
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Itapuranga - Goiânia
MSN:
LW-15
YOM:
1972
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
5756
Captain / Total hours on type:
2000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
13000
Copilot / Total hours on type:
500
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed a private strip in Itapuranga on a flight to Goiânia, carrying seven passengers and two pilots. About 10 minutes after takeoff, while in cruising altitude, the captain informed ATC about the failure of the right engine. Because the flight was short (25 minutes in total), he decided to continue to Goiânia. Twelve minutes later, the left engine failed as well. The crew declared an emergency and as he was unable to reach Goiânia Airport, he attempted an emergency landing in a pasture. The aircraft crash landed 13 km short of runway 14 threshold. All nine occupants were rescued, among them seven were injured, three seriously.
Probable cause:
Both engines failed 12 minutes apart due to fuel exhaustion. The following contributing factors were identified:
- Fuel tanks were empty,
- The fuel quantity was insufficient to cover the requested flying distance,
- Poor flight preparation and planning,
- Complacency on part of the copilot,
- Wrong decisions on part of the captain,
- Failures in the organization of flights within the operations of the Government of the State of Goiás,
- Miscalculations in fuel consumption.
- Operating an airplane with faulty fuel gauges,
- Failures in monitoring related to flight safety culture,
- Poor crew resources management,
- Poor crew coordination,
- Lack of crew interactions.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft 65-B80 Queen Air in Belo Horizonte: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 12, 2000 at 1328 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
PT-KKI
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Belo Horizonte - Sorocaba
MSN:
LD-483
YOM:
1974
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
2019
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Belo Horizonte-Pampulha Airport, while in initial climb, the left engine failed. The pilot lost control of the aircraft that rolled to the left, lost height and crashed onto four houses located in the district of São Bernardo near the airport. The aircraft and four houses were destroyed. All three occupants were killed and two other people on the ground were injured.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine that was not lubricated according to published procedures. Inappropriate engine maintenance on part of the operator. Also, it was reported that the pilot's experience on this type of aircraft was insufficient.
Final Report:

Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante in Envira

Date & Time: Jan 31, 2000 at 1030 LT
Operator:
Registration:
PP-EAM
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tefé - Eirunepé
MSN:
110-498
YOM:
1990
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
4800
Captain / Total hours on type:
4000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2000
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1600
Circumstances:
En route from Tefé to Eirunépé, weather conditions deteriorated and the crew decided to divert to the non controlled Envira Airport. Following a visual approach in heavy rain falls, the aircraft landed 500 metres past the runway threshold. After touchdown, the crew started the braking procedure but the aircraft encountered aquaplaning conditions and was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and came to rest 100 metres further in a ravine. The captain was seriously injured, the copilot suffered minor injuries and all 16 passengers escaped uninjured.
Probable cause:
The aircraft suffered aquaplaning after landing and was unable to stop within the remaining distance. The following contributing factors were identified:
- The operator authorized the crew to divert to an unapproved airport with an aircraft weighing more than the limits specified in the operations manual without performing adequate supervision in the execution of the flight;
- Deviations on part of the crew;
- Lack of Crew Resources Management;
- Lack of crew coordination and communication;
- Lack of crew instruction and training on part of the operator;
- Poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls;
- The runway surface was wet and the aircraft suffered aquaplaning;
- The aircraft was overloaded;
- The landing was completed with a tailwind component;
- The crew failed to perform the approach briefing according to published procedures.
Final Report: