What happened
On November 26, 2011, a Cirrus SR20, registration PR-LJL, was performing a private transport flight from Belo Horizonte to Piumhi, Minas Gerais. Approximately thirty minutes into the flight, while traversing the rural area of Carmo do Cajuru, the aircraft entered Cumulonimbus (CB) cloud formations. Witnesses near the site reported seeing the aircraft emerge from dark clouds in an uncontrolled manner, losing altitude significantly. The aircraft struck the ground at high speed with a low trajectory angle, resulting in the destruction of the airframe and two fatalities (the pilot and one passenger).
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the meteorological conditions and the pilot's flight experience. Meteorological data, including METAR reports and satellite imagery, confirmed the presence of isolated Cumulonimbus clouds and heavy rainfall in the flight path. The investigation noted that while the pilot held valid instrument flight ratings, they had very limited experience under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), with only five hours of recorded IFR flight. The wreckage analysis, including the separation of the propeller from the engine, indicated the engine was operating at high RPM at the moment of impact. Notably, the aircraft's ballistic parachute system was not activated, and no emergency communications were made to air traffic control.
Findings
- Spatial disorientation likely occurred after the aircraft entered instrument meteorological conditions, leading to a loss of control.
- The pilot's insufficient IFR experience may have hindered the ability to maintain control during the encounter with heavy weather.
- The decision to enter heavy weather formations contributed to the loss of visual references.
- Adverse weather conditions, characterized by intense rain and strong gusts, made maintaining visual contact with the terrain difficult.