What happened
On March 8, 2009, an A-188B agricultural aircraft, registration PR-JPR, crashed in Gurupi, Tocantins, during a sequence of low-altitude maneuvers. After completing a day of crop dusting, the pilot returned to the hangar where the aircraft was based. To impress onlookers, the pilot performed several low passes in front of the hangar. During the sequence, the pilot attempted a roll (specifically a roll intended to be a loop or a full wingover/tounneau) at a very low altitude. The aircraft entered a steep left turn, lost altitude rapidly, and struck the ground. The impact was followed by a post-crash fire that consumed the aircraft and resulted in one fatality.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the pilot's physiological state, psychological attitudes, and operational decisions. Investigators reviewed mobile phone footage captured by witnesses, which showed the aircraft's increasing bank angle before the impact. The investigation established that while the aircraft was airworthy and the pilot held valid commercial licenses for agricultural operations, the pilot was not rated for aerobatic flight.
Medical analysis revealed significant fatigue; the pilot had been flying for six consecutive days with minimal rest, and the accident occurred at the end of an 11-hour workday. Furthermore, the investigation analyzed the pilot's psychological profile, identifying several dangerous aeronautical attitudes, including anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, and machismo, driven by the desire to perform for spectators.