What happened
On January 30, 2011, a Beechcraft C90, registration PT-OPR, was performing a ferry flight from Campo de Marte (SBMT) to Parati (SDTK) with two pilots on board. During the final approach to runway 28, the aircraft encountered turbulence. The crew reported an uncommanded reduction in airspeed and a significant increase in the rate of descent as they crossed the runway threshold.
Despite attempts to mitigate the sink rate, the aircraft made a hard impact with the runway. The impact caused the left propeller tips to strike the ground and resulted in a deflated nose gear tire. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, including damage to the left engine and propeller, engine cowling, flaps, and wing surfaces, where rivets were loosened or skin wrinkling occurred. The two crew members were uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the meteorological conditions and the flight crew's actions. Satellite imagery showed dense clouds, including possible cumulonimbus and towering cumulus, in the vicinity of Parati. While surface wind measurements at the time showed relatively low speeds, there was significant variation in wind direction in the hours preceding the accident, creating conditions favorable for windshear or sudden gusts.
Investigators also noted that the aerodrome lacked an Air Traffic Control tower or Flight Information Service, leaving the windsock as the only available tool for the crew to assess wind conditions. The investigation focused on whether the crew's decision-making and flight management contributed to the inability to execute a missed approach.
Findings
- Unstable approach conditions: The aircraft may have encountered windshear or a sudden tailwind gust during the final approach, which significantly increased the sink rate and made the hard landing unavoidable.
- Inadequate pilot judgment: The crew failed to properly assess the aircraft's performance and the increasing risk during the approach. Specifically, they did not execute a missed approach (go-around) despite the loss of airspeed and increased descent rate.
- Flawed decision-making: The crew elected to land on runway 28 without observing the windsock, thereby failing to utilize the only available resource to evaluate wind direction and intensity.
Safety action
CENIPA issued a safety recommendation to ANAC to work with the operator, Helimarte Táxi Aéreo Ltda., to re-evaluate procedures for executing missed approaches, particularly in cases of unstabilized approaches caused by adverse weather.