What happened
On September 9, 1986, at approximately 17:00 UTC, a REIMS CESSNA F 150 L, registration G-PAGE, departed from Porto, Portugal, bound for Faro. The aircraft was operating as part of a three-plane formation under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), following a lead aircraft (G-BKIJ) and accompanied by another aircraft (G-BDBU).
During the flight, the formation encountered deteriorating weather. The pilot of G-PAGE lost visual contact with the lead aircraft and entered Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). Lacking the necessary IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) capabilities to continue the flight, the pilot attempted to navigate by following the coastline toward Porto. As visibility continued to degrade, the pilot executed an emergency landing on the beach near the São Jacinto Air Base.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation examined the flight history, the aircraft's technical condition, and the meteorological environment. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was certified, equipped, and maintained in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations, having undergone an annual inspection only seven days prior to the occurrence. Technical inspections of the engine controls, flight controls, and instruments revealed no mechanical anomalies or malfunctions that contributed to the event. The investigation also noted that a second aircraft in the formation, G-BDBU, also lost contact with the leader and performed an emergency landing at the São Jacinto Air Base without injury or damage.
Findings
- The pilot of G-PAGE entered IMC without being prepared or rated for instrument flight.
- The pilot attempted to maintain navigation by following the coastline as visibility worsened.
- The aircraft was in a fully airworthy condition at the time of the accident.
- The primary contributing factor was the pilot's decision to continue the flight into weather conditions for which they were not prepared, under the assumption that visual contact with the lead aircraft could be maintained.