What happened
On September 19, 2020, an IMPAER Explorer (registration PR-ZBG) was performing a private ferry flight from Ponta Grossa, Paraná, to Brusque, Santa Catarina. The purpose of the flight was to transport the experimental aircraft to a maintenance organization for a 1,000-hour inspection.
As the aircraft approached the Aeródromo Fazenda Aero Amil (SWJA), the pilot attempted a landing on runway 33. During the approach, the aircraft maintained an excessive speed of approximately 85 knots with 10 degrees of flaps. The pilot performed a high approach, and due to the high speed and an 8-knot tailwind, the aircraft experienced significant floating after the initial touchdown. The aircraft subsequently touched down a second time further down the runway. The aircraft failed to stop within the available pavement, overran the end of the runway, and collided with an embankment, causing the aircraft to overturn.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the pilot's flight experience and the approach parameters. The investigation established that the pilot was properly licensed and medically certified, but possessed limited flight experience, with only 145 total hours, 50 of which were in this specific model. Furthermore, the pilot had not flown for approximately 40 days and had no prior experience landing at this specific airfield or operating this aircraft type on runways shorter than 1,000 meters.
Investigators reviewed video footage which confirmed the high approach angle, the excessive airspeed, and the pilot's difficulty maintaining control following the second touchdown. The investigation also noted that while the pilot had researched the airfield via satellite imagery and received advice to avoid runway 15 due to elevation changes, the decision-making during the actual landing phase was flawed.