What happened
On March 16, 2020, a Cessna 182M, registration PT-BZK, departed from Aeródromo Pista São Jorge in Jacareacanga, Pará, for a flight to an unregistered location in the Cabaçal community. The flight, operated privately, carried a pilot and two passengers.
During the landing phase, the aircraft touched down 50 meters ahead of the intended landing area. The aircraft bounced, touching the ground again 3ally 30 meters later, before traveling an additional 60 meters. During this sequence, the aircraft drifted to the left, collided with a tree, and overturned. While the aircraft sustained substantial damage, the pilot and both passengers escaped the incident uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the pilot was qualified with a valid medical certificate and single-engine land rating, though they possessed limited experience and had never previously landed at the site. The aircraft was within weight and balance limits and held a valid airworthiness certificate, although records for the engine, propeller, and airframe were not up to date.
Investigators found that the landing was performed with a tailwind, a decision influenced by high vegetation on the opposite side of the strip. The landing surface, consisting of irregular laterite (piçarra), was an unregistered landing site not approved by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC).
Findings
- The use of an unregistered landing strip in violation of aeronautical regulations.
- The irregular and uneven nature of the landing surface.
- The pilot's decision to perform a landing with a tailwind.
- The pilot's limited flight experience.
- Inadequate flight planning and pilot judgment regarding the landing site infrastructure.