What happened
On March 18, 2021, a Paradise P1 aircraft, registration PU-GRB, departed from the Barra do Vento Aerodrome (SJQK) in Boa Vista, Roraima, bound for the Tepequém area in the municipality of Amajari. The aircraft was operating under the Experimental Private Category (PET). After failing to return as scheduled, search efforts located the wreckage on March 20, 2021, in a remote, heavily forested area. The aircraft was found destroyed by fire, and all three occupants sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The CENIPA investigation revealed several significant regulatory and operational deviations. The pilot was operating with a single-engine land airplane rating that had been expired since January 2021. Furthermore, the flight was conducted without a filed Flight Plan (FPL), despite the departure point being within the airspace controlled by Boa Vista Approach (APP-BV).
Regarding the aircraft's condition, investigators could not verify the validity of the annual maintenance inspection or the experimental flight authorization, as the relevant documentation was destroyed in the post-impact fire. The investigation also noted that the aircraft lacked formal maintenance logs for the airframe, engine, and propeller, and did not follow a formal maintenance program.
Weight and balance discrepancies were also identified. While the aircraft was estimated to be within its maximum takeoff weight, it was being operated outside of its certified capacity. The aircraft was carrying three occupants in a configuration designed for only two, with one passenger seated in the baggage compartment, which exceeded the manufacturer's weight and balance limits.
Findings
- The pilot lacked recent experience flying in the Amazon region, an environment characterized by rapid meteorological changes.
- The aircraft was operated in violation of weight and balance limitations due to overcrowding.
- The flight was conducted without a filed flight plan, a practice noted to be common at the departure aerodrome.
- The pilot's landing rating was expired at the time of the accident.
- The aircraft was operated in excess of its certified occupant capacity.