What happened
On October 5, 2010, a Beechcraft 35-B33, registration PP-IAL, was performing a private flight in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The flight originated from an unregistered airstrip at Fazenda Savana, destined for the Jardim Paraíso Aerodrome (SJUC) in Luís Eduardo Magalhães. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and three passengers.
During the landing at SJUC, the aircraft made contact with the ground on its ventral fuselage. The plane slid several meters along the runway before coming to a stop with its nose oriented 90 degrees to the right, partially off the runway surface. Despite the impact, the pilot and all three passengers were uninjured, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators established that the flight sequence was complicated by navigational errors. Prior to the accident, the crew had attempted to land at a different unregistered location due to incorrect geographic coordinates provided to the pilot. This necessitated a return to SJUC.
Investigators found that the aircraft had been moved from the accident site to a hangar before the investigation could begin. The landing gear was found in the down and locked position, and the movement of the aircraft without authorization from the investigation authority prevented the inspection of the landing gear systems and the accident scene. While the pilot claimed the landing gear had retracted during the landing, the physical damage to the aircraft—limited to the underside of the fuselage and the propellers—did not clearly corroborate the retraction of the gear, though the investigators could not rule it out.
Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the pilot was flying with a suspended medical certificate, rendering them unqualified for the flight. The operation also involved the use of an unregistered airstrip, which violated established regulations.
Findings
- The pilot was operating the aircraft with a suspended medical certificate.
- The landing occurred at an unregistered airstrip, violating RBHA No. 91 regulations.
- The unauthorized removal of the aircraft from the accident site hindered the collection of critical evidence.
- The pilot likely failed to extend the landing gear due to distractions or memory lapses related to the previous erroneous landing attempt.