What happened
On August 7, 2022, an Israel Aircraft Industries 1124, registration PR-OMX, was performing a ferry flight from Nacional de Aviação Aerodrome (SBNV) to Santa Genoveva Airport (SBGO) for a pressurization system test. The flight, operated by Brasil Vida Táxi Aéreo Ltda., carried two pilots and one passenger.
Upon reaching flight level 340, the crew identified a malfunction in the aircraft's pressurization system and decided to return to SBNV to continue maintenance procedures. During the landing roll on runway 32, the aircraft veered off the right side of the runway and collided with an airport brick wall. The impact caused substantial damage to the aircraft's nose section, windshield, wing leading edges, and main landing gear, while the auxiliary gear collapsed. No injuries were reported among the crew or the passenger.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the aircraft was within weight and balance limits and that all maintenance records and certificates of airworthiness were up to date. Meteorological conditions at the time of landing were favorable, with visibility well above minimums.
Analysis of the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) revealed significant variations in the aircraft's rate of descent at altitudes below 500 feet, indicating that the approach was not stabilized. Furthermore, security camera footage showed the aircraft was traveling at an average speed of 80 knots during the final 240 meters of the runway. According to the manufacturer's performance tables, the aircraft should have been able to come to a complete stop during this segment.
Findings
- The crew proceeded with the landing despite an unstabilized approach characterized by abrupt changes in descent rate.
- The pilot's limited experience with this specific model—having only approximately 100 hours on the type and no prior experience with jet aircraft—may have led to an incorrect assessment of landing parameters.
- The aircraft maintained a high speed during the landing roll, which reduced the safety margin and led to the loss of directional control.
- The aircraft's flight data recorder was found to be partially non-functional, with only one of four channels providing valid audio, which hindered the collection of certain information.