What happened
On September 13, 2006, a Cessna 182M, registration PT-AOT, was operating a flight from Cavalcante, GO, toward Formosa, GO. The flight involved one pilot and three passengers. During the mission, the aircraft made an unscheduled stop at an unregistered and uncertified landing strip on a private farm in the Serra da Boa Vista region.
After departing from the farm approximately two hours later, the aircraft flew for about 50 minutes before the engine failed. Realizing the destination airport was unreachable, the pilot performed an emergency landing on the GO-1able highway. During the landing roll, the pilot applied the brakes abruptly to avoid colliding with vehicles on the road. This maneuver caused a loss of directional control, leading the aircraft to veer off the roadway and strike a fence post. The impact caused severe damage to the engine and propeller.
The investigation
The CENIPA investigation focused on the cause of the engine failure and the pilot's flight planning. Investigators examined the aircraft's fuel logs and maintenance records. While the engine, electrical, and lubrication systems were found to be in normal working order, the fuel system showed no remaining traces of fuel at the time of inspection.
Technical analysis revealed that the pilot had failed to accurately account for the fuel consumed during previous flights since the last refueling on September 11. This led to a significant discrepancy between the pilot's estimated endurance and the actual remaining fuel. Additionally, investigators noted that the pilot was conducting a night flight in a VFR-only aircraft without the required IFR rating, and had utilized an unauthorized landing site.