What happened
On October 27, 2018, at approximately 22:10 UTC, an Embraer EMB-810D, registration PT-RXQ, was conducting a scenic flight over the rural area of Pauini, Amazonas. The aircraft, operated for private purposes, carried a pilot and five passengers.
Following the aerial survey, the pilot attempted to land on a deactivated runway located in the municipality. As part of the landing procedure, the pilot performed an initial pass over the runway to ensure the area was clear of bystanders. During the subsequent landing roll, the left wingtip of the aircraft collided with a pedestrian walking near the runway. While the pilot and all five passengers escaped without injury, the pedestrian sustained fatal injuries at the scene. The aircraft sustained minor damage.
The investigation
The CENIPA investigation established that the aircraft was being operated in violation of several aviation regulations. The investigation found that the pilot's single-pilot authorization was invalid, as his ratings for single-engine and multi-engine land aircraft had expired. Furthermore, although the pilot held a valid medical certificate, he was legally prohibited from conducting solo flights.
Regarding the aircraft's airworthiness, the investigation revealed that the Certificate of Airworthiness for PT-RXQ had been suspended since August 21, 2018, due to an expired annual maintenance inspection. Additionally, the aircraft's logbooks for the airframe, engine, and propeller were not up to date. The investigation also noted that the landing site was an unregistered and deactivated airstrip, which was not authorized for flight operations.