What happened
On September 14, 2021, at approximately 11:35 UTC, a B200GT aircraft, registration PS-CSM, crashed into a vegetated area near the Aerodrome of Piracicaba (SDPW) in São Paulo, Brazil. The aircraft was operating a private passenger flight with two crew members and five passengers on board, bound for Santa Maria das Barreiras, Pará.
Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft's propeller speed increased unexpectedly. Following the retraction of the landing gear, the pilot noted a propeller overspeed. During the flight, the right-hand engine propeller began a feathering process, causing the aircraft to roll onto its right wing. The aircraft entered a steep descent, triggering stall and pull-up warnings, before impacting the ground. The crash resulted in seven fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the aircraft was operating 1,374 pounds above its maximum takeoff weight (MTOW). Investigators analyzed the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and engine components, finding that while the engines showed no pre-existing mechanical failures, the right propeller blades moved toward a feathering position (between 60° and 78°) during the sequence of events.
The investigation also examined the crew's performance, noting that the crew became fixated on the excessive propeller RPM and failed to notice the decreasing airspeed. Furthermore, discrepancies were found in the maintenance records from the previous day, including erasures in the service order documentation, though no specific mechanical defect was directly linked to the accident.