What happened
On March 7, 2007, a Beechcraft A36, registration PT-DLK, was performing a flight over an area near Bom Jesus do Gurguéia, PI, after departing from the Fazenda Jardim Paraíso aerodrome in Luiz Eduardo Magalhães, BA. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and five passengers.
During the return leg of the flight, while descending to traffic altitude, the pilot noticed a power fluctuation accompanied by a reduction in fuel flow. To stabilize the engine, the pilot activated the auxiliary pump and switched the fuel selector to the right tank. Although the engine stabilized, the pilot subsequently turned off the auxiliary pump and switched the fuel selector back to the left tank to verify if the system had returned to normal. This action caused the engine to stop completely.
Unable to reach the runway at Fazenda Jardim Paraíso, the pilot performed a forced landing in an unprepared field approximately 300 meters from the runway threshold. The impact resulted in severe injuries for the pilot and light injuries for the five passengers. The aircraft sustained severe damage to the fuselage, landing gear, and engine.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the left fuel tank was completely empty at the time of the accident. The investigation focused on the pilot's decision-making process and flight planning. It was determined that the pilot had not accurately calculated the aircraft's endurance, failing to account for the fact that the usable fuel was only 280 liters, which provided approximately 3 hours and 55 minutes of flight time, rather than the estimated 4 hours and 15 minutes.
Furthermore, the investigation found that the pilot failed to adhere to VFR safety standards, which require a minimum fuel reserve to reach the destination plus an additional 30 minutes of flight. The investigation also noted that the pilot's primary motivation for the flight was to gain experience for a professional career, often treating such flights as informal training.