What happened
On August 22, 2017, a Cessna P210N, registration PT-LDV, departed from Flores Aerodrome (SWFN) in Manaus, Brazil, to perform a flight test. The flight was part of a regularization process to return the aircraft to service following a long period of inactivity. After approximately 10 minutes of flight, the pilot returned to the airfield for landing on runway 11.
During the landing roll, the pilot was unable to stop the aircraft within the runway limits. The aircraft veered off the left side of the runway at the opposite end, eventually striking a ditch with the auxiliary landing gear. The impact caused the gear to break and the right wingtip to strike the ground. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, including damage to the propeller blades, engine cowling, and exhaust. The pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the circumstances of the flight. The aircraft had been grounded since 2002, with its airworthiness certificate suspended in 2003 and canceled in 2009. While the flight was authorized by ANAC for testing purposes, investigators found that maintenance records for the airframe, engine, and propeller were still being updated and were not yet consolidated.
Technical analysis of the braking system was conducted by the DCTA. Laboratory tests on the brake pads revealed cracks, surface corrosion, abnormal wear, and signs of vitrification—a condition where the brake pads become smooth and glass-like, losing their effectiveness. The brake discs also showed signs of overheating, including blueing of the metal. Analysis of the hydraulic fluid showed no contamination that would have contributed to the failure.
Findings
Prior to the flight, the pilot performed engine and magneto checks at high RPM, as well as a high-speed ground abort maneuver to test braking performance. These procedures, performed in quick succession, placed significant thermal stress on the braking system. Because there was insufficient time for the brakes to cool between the high-stress ground tests and the landing, the brake pads underwent vitrification, resulting in a total loss of effective braking friction during the landing roll.
Additionally, the investigation noted a lack of specific flight test documentation or checklists defining the required maneuvers or parameters for the test flight, leaving the planning and risk assessment largely to the pilot's discretion.