Twin-Engine Aircraft Collision with Mount Santo Antônio During Approach to Goiânia-Santa Genoveva (PR-ART)

Flight and Accident Sequence The aircraft departed Brasília without incident and began its descent toward Goiânia-Santa Genoveva Airport in poor visibility, heavy rain, and turbulence. During the final approach, the twin-engine aircraft descended below the glide path and impacted the slope of Mount Santo Antônio, located 10.7 km short of runway 32. The impact forces and a post-crash fire destroyed the aircraft, and all six occupants were killed. ## Contributing Factors The investigation identified several factors that may have contributed to the accident. The pilot’s workload in the moments before the collision, possibly influenced by obesity and sedentary habits, may have exceeded safety margins and led to poor decision-making. After learning that earlier aircraft had found better visibility below 3,500 ft during the VOR final approach, the pilot may have become overconfident and descended further without fully assessing the risks. Adverse weather in the final phase may have increased cabin tension and impaired the pilot’s management of the situation, including the decision to delegate radiotelephony communication to a passenger. The pilot may have chosen to descend below the minimum safe altitude to obtain visual conditions, a decision that may have been influenced by the experience of preceding aircraft and made without adequate risk evaluation or consideration of instrument flight rules. ## Meteorological and Charting Issues Primary radar images from Anápolis Control showed thick nebulosity and heavy cloud build-ups on the final approach of the VOR procedure. These conditions influenced the occurrence and led to the collision with Mount Santo Antônio, regardless of the hypotheses raised during the investigation. The final approach was made on a 320° course instead of 325°, aligning the aircraft with the hill it struck. Mount Santo Antônio, a control obstacle on the final approach, was not depicted on the runway 32 VOR approach chart, contrary to CIRTRAF 100-30 prescriptions. This omission may have reduced the pilot’s situational awareness.