What happened
On August 31, 2014, at approximately 19:50 UTC, a Robinson R44 helicopter, registration PT-YFD, was conducting a short-duration sightseeing flight from the Parque de Exposições in Candói, Paraná. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and five passengers for a planned ten-minute flight. Approximately 70 meters after departing, the pilot experienced a loss of control in flight, necessitating an immediate emergency landing in the vicinity of the takeoff site.
The impact caused substantial damage to the main rotor, tail rotor, tail cone, skids, and the cabin. While the pilot remained uninjured, the five passengers sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation into the occurrence revealed significant discrepancies regarding the aircraft's airworthiness and maintenance records. Investigators found that the aircraft's Certificate of Airworthiness had been expired since February 2013. Furthermore, the Annual Maintenance Inspection was overdue, having last been recorded in December 2011.
The investigation also identified critical documentation failures. The aircraft's logbooks for both the airframe and engine lacked recent flight hour entries, and the aircraft's flight log was entirely blank. Additionally, the weight and balance documentation was outdated, dating back to 2007. While the aircraft was within weight limits, the investigation established that it was operating with a longitudinal center of gravity that exceeded the forward limit based on the available 2007 data.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating with an expired Certificate of Airworthiness.
- The Annual Maintenance Inspection was significantly overdue.
- Maintenance services were not being performed periodically, and airframe and engine logbooks were not updated.
- The aircraft was operating with a longitudinal center of gravity exceeding the forward limit.
- Essential flight documentation, including the flight log and weight and balance records, were outdated or incomplete.
- The aircraft's registration was obscured by promotional decals on both sides of the fuselage.