What happened
On January 12, 2023, a Cessna U206G, registration PR-IPD, was performing a cargo flight from Tucuxim Aerodrome to Onkiola Aerodrome in the state of Roraima, Brazil. The flight was operated by Asas de Socorro as a private operation.
Upon landing at Onkiola, the aircraft began its landing roll when the right wingtip made contact with encroaching vegetation. This impact caused the aircraft to veer sharply to the right, eventually coming to a stop at the lateral edge of the runway. The pilot and one passenger were on board, though only the pilot was operating the aircraft at the time of the event; the pilot remained uninjured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the pilot was properly licensed, medical certificates were valid, and the aircraft was airworthy and within weight and balance limits. Meteorological conditions were above minimums for the flight.
Investigators found that the pilot had performed two low passes to evaluate the runway conditions, as required by the operator's Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), before deciding to land. However, the pilot reported difficulty obtaining accurate information regarding the runway's condition prior to the flight.
While the ROTAER indicated a runway width of 16 meters, the presence of vegetation had effectively reduced the usable width to approximately 10 meters. This was less than the 10.97-meter wingspan of the Cessna U206G. Furthermore, the investigation noted that there was no NOTAM issued to alert pilots of the reduced operational area or the presence of vegetation encroaching on the runway.
Findings
- The aircraft's wingspan exceeded the available width of the runway due to vegetation encroachment.
- Inadequate management supervision by the operator, as the procedures for inspecting or verifying new/non-routine runways were not properly followed.
- Inadequate airport infrastructure oversight, as the runway owner failed to maintain the operational area or update infrastructure information.
- Lack of timely aeronautical information (NOTAM) regarding the altered runway conditions.
- Contributing factors included flight planning, pilot judgment, and airport infrastructure.