What happened
On the morning of the accident, an aircraft departed from Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz Airport at 11:00 local time, bound for Chapecó-Serafim Enoss Bertasco Airport. The flight proceeded without incident until the pilot began the descent toward the destination. During this phase, the aircraft encountered weather conditions characterized by low visibility.
While attempting to navigate using visual flight rules, the aircraft struck trees in a heavily forested region near Ipumirim, situated approximately 50 km east of Chapecó Airport. The impact caused the aircraft to burst into flames, and the wreckage was destroyed by the force of the collision and subsequent fire. The pilot, who was the only person on board, sustained fatal injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors regarding the pilot's actions and the environmental conditions:
- The pilot chose to continue the descent visually rather than adhering to the established IFR flight plan, which required a minimum altitude of 5,000 feet.
- The decision to descend under VFR despite dense fog in the area led to the collision with terrain.
- Although conditions at the destination airport appeared favorable for visual flight, heavy fog covered the immediate vicinity of the crash site.
- The pilot's decision-making process was compromised by an inadequate assessment of meteorological risks.
- Potential factors such as personal stressors and a high motivation to complete the flight quickly may have also influenced the pilot's performance and judgment.