What happened
On March 23, 2018, an Aerobravo 700, registration PU-LHC, was performing a local flight originating from Aeródromo Fazenda Bom Jardim in Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro. The flight plan involved overflying the Xerém area before returning to the departure airfield. The pilot, who held a valid private pilot license and medical certificate, had previously completed a 35-minute flight earlier that day.
While flying over the city of Nova Iguaçu, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of engine power. In an attempt to manage the emergency, the pilot performed a forced landing on kilometer 180 of the Presidente Dutra highway. During the landing sequence, the aircraft collided with a vehicle and struck an earthen mound on the roadside before coming to rest in a grassy area. Despite the substantial damage to the engine, propeller, landing gear, wings, and fuselage, the pilot and the driver of the vehicle were uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation conducted by SERIPA III faced significant obstacles that prevented a conclusive determination of the engine failure's cause. Upon arrival, investigators discovered that the aircraft had been removed from the accident site and partially disassembled without authorization from the SIPAER investigation authority.
Furthermore, because the aircraft, engine, and propeller did not possess a type certificate, there were no mandatory maintenance logs (cell, engine, or propeller logbooks) available for review. This lack of documentation made it impossible to verify the traceability of components or the aircraft's maintenance history. Additionally, the unauthorized disassembly prevented a bench test of the engine. Due to the inability to collect and analyze essential evidence, CENIPA decided to terminate the investigation, as it could no longer provide meaningful contributions to accident prevention.