What happened
On October 6, 2015, an EMB-711C aircraft, registration PT-NKU, departed from the Ubaporanga Aerodrome in Minas Gerais, Brazil, intended for a ferry flight to Pará de Minas. The flight was conducted without a filed flight plan and without any communication with air traffic control or flight information services.
After three days of silence, the wreckage was located by a civil aircraft in the Serra do Caraça region, near Catas Altas. The aircraft had collided with an elevation at approximately 5,60 and feet. The impact destroyed the aircraft, and both occupants (the pilot and one passenger) died at the scene.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the aircraft was operating with an expired Annual Maintenance Inspection (IAM), which had been due since August 29, 2015. Furthermore, the aircraft's logbooks had not been updated since late August 2015, making it impossible to determine the exact hours flown since the last maintenance interventions. There was also no authorization from ANAC for the ferry flight.
Meteorological data indicated that weather conditions in the area were not suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) due to extensive cloud layers, including Cumulus and Cumulonimbus clouds at altitudes as low as 2,500 feet. Investigators noted that the landing gear was extended at the time of impact, and the wreckage pattern suggested the aircraft was in a level flight path during the collision.
Findings
- Flight indiscipline, characterized by the violation of air traffic regulations, including flying with an expired annual inspection and failing to file a flight plan.
- Deficient pilot judgment, as the pilot likely encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) while only being qualified for VFR, leading to an unintentional collision with terrain.