What happened
On December 20, 2009, a Cessna 152, registration PR-EJP, was conducting a local instructional flight at Jundiaí Aerodrome in São Paulo, Brazil. The flight, operated by EJ Escola de Aeronáutica Ltda., carried an instructor and a student. After approximately 50 minutes of flight, the instructor decided to perform a landing without the use of flaps to demonstrate the procedure to the student.
During the final approach, the aircraft maintained an excessively high and fast profile. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at a speed exceeding 70 knots, touching down past the 1,000-foot marker. Upon touchdown, the instructor was unable to decelerate the aircraft sufficiently. The plane veered left off the runway and came to a stop in a depression in the terrain near the opposite threshold. Both occupants of the aircraft were uninjured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the engine, propeller, and landing gear, along with minor damage to the lower fuselage.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the flight parameters and the pilot's decision-making. Investigators confirmed that the aircraft was within weight and balance limits and that the braking system showed no abnormalities during post-accident testing. Meteorological conditions were favorable for VFR flight, with a negligible 2-knot tailwind.
The investigation established that the decision to perform a flapless landing was not part of the original mission profile and had not been discussed during the pre-flight briefing. Furthermore, while the instructor's flight credentials and medical certificates were valid, the investigation noted that the instructor's total flight time was approximately 260 hours, which may have been insufficient for conducting such basic instruction. Additionally, the instructor was on his fifth flight of the day, and investigators considered that fatigue from two consecutive days of flight instruction might have compromised performance.
Findings
- The instructor's decision to perform a non-standard landing demonstration without prior briefing.
- An unstable approach characterized by excessive altitude and airspeed.
- Inadequate pilot judgment regarding the execution of the flapless landing.
- Potential degradation of pilot performance due to fatigue from a heavy flight schedule.
- Inadequate management oversight regarding instructional procedures.