What happened
On December 23, 2014, a Piper PA-25-235 was attempting to depart from Fazenda Inhumas do Chapadão in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, for an agricultural pilot training flight. The aircraft was configured with 300kg of water in the hopper for training purposes. During the takeoff roll, the pilot realized the aircraft had passed the point where rotation typically begins, yet the wheels had not yet left the ground. Approximately 100 meters before the end of the runway, the pilot attempted to abort the takeoff, but the aircraft exceeded the runway limits and collided with a sugarcane field. The impact caused substantial damage to the fuselage, landing gear, wings, and engine, though the pilot remained uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft and the runway conditions. The investigation found no mechanical abnormalities or engine power loss that could explain the difficulty in rotating the aircraft. However, it was determined that the aircraft's airspeed indicator was inoperative, leaving the pilot without a reliable parameter to gauge rotation speed. The pilot admitted to relying on "feel" to estimate the necessary speed. Additionally, the investigation noted that the runway surface was in poor condition, characterized by high grass and soft soil due to heavy rains the previous day, which increased rolling resistance. The pilot, who had only 30 minutes of flight time in this specific model that day, failed to jettison the hopper load during the aborted takeoff attempt.
Findings
- Pilot judgment regarding the decision to abort the takeoff too late.
- Lack of pilot experience with the specific aircraft model.
- Inadequate runway infrastructure, specifically the soft, high-grass surface that increased drag.
- Inoperative airspeed indicator, preventing accurate monitoring of takeoff parameters.