What happened
On April 28, 2010, a Cessna 152, registration PT-WQP, was performing a visual navigation training flight departing from Salgado Filho International Airport (SBPA) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The flight, operated by Born to Fly Escola de Aviação Civil, included an instructor and a student pilot.
After the aircraft climbed to 200 feet, the crew experienced a sudden loss of engine power. The instructor took control of the aircraft and attempted an emergency landing on the field ahead of the runway. During the maneuver, the aircraft experienced three separate impacts. The first impact occurred 80 meters beyond the end of runway 11. The aircraft then gained lift and continued for approximately 100 meters before a second impact occurred near a drainage ditch. To avoid a more severe impact with the ditch, the instructor pulled back on the controls, causing the nose gear to strike the opposite bank of the ditch, where the aircraft finally came to a stop.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but both occupants emerged uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA examined the engine and its components, but no mechanical abnormalities or malfunctions were found during inspections. The investigation focused on two primary hypotheses for the power loss. The first considered carburetor icing, as the meteorological conditions—including an ambient temperature of 18°C and 75% relative humidity—were conducive to ice formation. The second hypothesis suggested an inadvertent reduction of the throttle by the student pilot during the takeoff roll, which may have gone unnoticed by the instructor.
Findings
- Carburetor icing was a possible cause due to the high humidity and moderate temperatures present at the time of the accident.
- An inadvertent throttle retraction by the student pilot during takeoff was considered a potential cause of the power loss.
- Contributing factors included poor communication, issues with perception, the instructor's limited experience, and organizational processes within the flight school.