What happened
On July 29, 2018, an Aero Boero AB-115, registration PP-GNY, was conducting a local flight instruction mission at the Comandante Antônio Amilton Beraldo Aerodrome in Ponta Grossa, Brazil. The flight involved an instructor and a student pilot performing maneuvers for a flight instructor training course.
During the final approach for the eighth landing of the session, the student pilot executed an unstable approach that was misaligned with the runway centerline and below the prescribed glide slope. Feeling uncomfortable with the aircraft's position, the student transferred control to the instructor. The instructor took command but failed to initiate a go-around, proceeding with the landing despite the unstable parameters.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft was misaligned to the right of the runway centerline. An attempt to maintain the runway using brakes resulted in a loss of directional control, causing the aircraft to veer off the right side of the runway. As the instructor attempted to steer the aircraft back toward the pavement, the right landing gear struck a concrete base used for runway lighting. The impact broke the landing gear and caused the aircraft to capsize. Both occupants were uninjured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the aircraft was operating above its maximum landing weight, though this was not a direct cause of the accident. The investigation also identified a lack of effective cockpit coordination during the handover of controls and noted that the instructor's decision-making was flawed due to a complacent attitude regarding the unstable approach.
Furthermore, investigators found a localized culture of non-standard procedures at the flying club, where instructors were reportedly teaching students to land on the threshold markings rather than within the designated touchdown zone. The investigation also noted deficiencies in the aerodrome's infrastructure, specifically regarding the improper grounding of runway lighting and the height of the concrete light bases.