What happened
On November 22, 2011, a Cessna 210 L, registration PT-IOT, departed from a landing strip in the Halicatu indigenous territory, Roraima, bound for the Águia landing strip. Approximately 40 minutes into the flight, the pilot declared an emergency on the 123.45 MHz frequency, announcing an engine failure and an intention to perform a forced landing.
Because the departure point was outside the standard communication coverage of the Amazon Control Center, the emergency message was intercepted and relayed to authorities by a passing TAM aircraft. The aircraft was not located until five days later, approximately 8NM from Alto Mucajaí, embedded in a primary rainforest area. The pilot sustained fatal injuries upon impact, and the aircraft suffered severe damage, including a displaced engine that intruded into the cockpit and ruptured fuel tanks.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators reached the crash site via helicopter, as the dense vegetation made ground access impossible. The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the engine failure and the flight's final moments. Investigators noted that the aircraft's engine and panel were heavily damaged, and the impact angle was extremely steep.
While the pilot was fully qualified and the aircraft's airworthiness certificate was valid, investigators looked into the possibility of fuel exhaustion. Although a company employee reported the aircraft had been fueled to capacity, the operator lacked formal fueling receipts or quality control logs. Furthermore, the pilot had not filed a flight plan with the Boa Vista traffic service, which prevented air traffic controllers from monitoring the flight's progress.
Findings
- The pilot may have attempted to induce a stall near the tree canopy to reduce impact speed, but this maneuver likely resulted in an abrupt loss of lift and a steep, fatal nose-down attitude.
- Inadequate flight planning may have led the pilot to select a flight level and route that offered fewer safe emergency landing options.
- There was a possibility of fuel exhaustion, as no traces of aviation gasoline were found at the site, though the lack of fueling records made this difficult to confirm.
- A lack of management oversight regarding fuel records and aircraft autonomy was noted within the operator's organization.