What happened
On May 23, 2020, a Cessna 172RG, registration PR-TXG, departed from Carlos Prates Aerodrome (SBPR) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, bound for Curvelo. The flight, a private operation carrying a pilot and one passenger, proceeded normally until the aircraft reached approximately 700 feet during the climb. At this altitude, the engine experienced a significant loss of power.
In response to the power loss, the pilot decided to return to the departure airfield to land on runway 09. During the emergency approach, the pilot executed a steep descent. This maneuver resulted in an unstable final approach characterized by excessive speed. Upon crossing the runway threshold, the aircraft experienced significant "floating," traveling along the runway for more than half its length before making contact. The aircraft eventually veered left and exited the runway, coming to a stop in an area with a steep incline. Both occupants of the aircraft were uninjured, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the engine and the pilot's flight history. Technical inspections of the Lycoming O-360-F1A engine revealed that cylinder number 1 had no compression due to a burnt intake valve and erosion on the valve seat. Additionally, cylinder number 2 exhibited compression loss due to a leaking exhaust valve. While the fuel and oil samples met all specifications, the aircraft's maintenance logs for the airframe, engine, and propeller were found to be outdated.
Investigators also analyzed the flight dynamics using airport surveillance footage. The footage confirmed that the aircraft maintained a level flight path (floating) for a long duration due to high approach speeds. The investigation noted that the pilot, while properly licensed and medically certified, had only approximately 240 total flight hours and less than two hours of experience specifically in the Cessna 172RG model.