What happened
On October 28, 2016, at approximately 19:30 UTC, a Cessna aircraft (identified by witnesses as a Cessna 150) departed from Jataí Airport (SWJW) in Jataí, Goiás, for a flight to an unpaved landing strip in Doverlândia. The flight was intended to transport cargo, including agricultural machinery parts, supplies, and a passenger.
Witnesses at the airfield observed that the aircraft departed from runway 13 with a low airspeed. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft began a slight left turn to utilize a 5-knot headwind, but struggled to gain altitude. Upon reaching approximately 3-hundred feet, the pilot initiated a right turn. During this maneuver, as the aircraft encountered a slight tailwind component at low speed, it lost lift and entered a steep dive, impacting the ground approximately 300 meters from the runway threshold. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and two fatalities.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the wreckage and the circumstances surrounding the flight. Due to the intense post-impact fire and the high degree of fragmentation, a detailed technical analysis of the engine and flight systems was not possible. However, investigators established that the aircraft lacked any visible registration marks or nationality identifiers. While a Federal Police report suggested the aircraft might have been an experimental PU-ZUU, the aircraft was not found in the Brazilian Aircraft Registry (RAB).
Evidence from witnesses suggested the aircraft was operating with an excessive weight load, as the pilot had fully fueled the tanks and was transporting heavy agricultural parts and additional fuel canisters. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the aircraft had been brought from the United States without undergoing the required Brazilian nationalization process. The investigation also found that the pilot lacked the necessary pilot license and a valid medical certificate.
Findings
- The pilot did not possess a valid pilot license.
- The pilot did not hold a valid Aeronautical Medical Certificate (CMA).
- The aircraft was not registered in the Brazilian Aircraft Registry (RAB) and lacked all required documentation.
- The aircraft was operating without proper nationalization of its US-origin status.
- Meteorological conditions were favorable for flight at the time of the accident.