What happened
On January 5, 2009, a Bell 206B helicopter, registration PT-HFO, was performing a passenger pickup at Praia do Preá, in the municipality of Jijoca de Jericoacoara, Ceará. The flight originated from Eusébio, Ceará.
While attempting to land on sandy terrain near a hotel, the aircraft's tail rotor collided with the ground. The impact caused the pilot to lose control, leading the helicopter to tilt to the right. This secondary movement resulted in the main rotor striking the ground, which subsequently severed the tail cone from the airframe. The aircraft sustained severe damage and was rendered unrecoverable. The pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the pilot did not perform a low-altitude, low-speed flyover of the landing site to inspect for obstacles prior to the approach. The chosen landing area contained sand dunes approximately 70 cm in height. While the aircraft was equipped with a tail rotor skid, investigators noted that such equipment can lose effectiveness in sandy terrain if it sinks into the surface.
Furthermore, the investigation examined the operational environment and the pilot's background. The pilot was relatively inexperienced, with fewer than 300 total flight hours. The investigation also looked into the organizational culture of the operator, noting that the company was a family-run enterprise where the pilot had received instruction and check-rides from family members. This environment was characterized by an attitude of overconfidence and potential informalities in training and supervision.
Findings
- The pilot failed to conduct a pre-landing reconnaissance of the unprepared landing site.
- The pilot chose a landing area with existing obstacles (sand dunes) despite the availability of nearby unobstructed terrain.
- Excessive confidence and a lack of experience influenced the pilot's decision-making process, leading to a failure to properly assess the risks of the landing site.
- The organizational culture of the operator was marked by overconfidence and a lack of formal technical-operational depth in training.
- The approach path was aligned such that an aborted landing (go-around) would have required flying over a hotel, potentially creating an obstacle or disturbance.