Twin-Engine Aircraft Crash in Mt Cantareira Near Caieiras (PP-BSS)

Flight Details and Accident Sequence A pilot departed Jundiaí-Comandante Rolim Adolfo Amaro Airport at 0550 local time on a short transfer flight to Campo de Marte in São Paulo. During descent toward Campo de Marte Airport, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and was instructed by air traffic control to return to Jundiaí. Minutes later, while flying in limited visibility, the twin-engine aircraft struck trees and crashed in a wooded area in Mt Cantareira, near Caieiras. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire, and the pilot, who was the sole person on board, was killed. ## Contributing Factors The official investigation identified several contributing factors. Adverse meteorological conditions, including cloud height and visibility, did not permit the flight to be conducted under visual flight rules (VFR) to SBMT. The pilot’s attempt to continue the visual flight without the minimum required conditions reflected an inadequate assessment of operational parameters, despite being qualified to operate the aircraft. The investigation also found that the pilot’s perception of hazards related to continuing the flight under marginal ceiling and forward visibility conditions was impaired. This impairment reduced situational awareness, likely caused geographic disorientation, and contributed to a phenomenon described as “tunnel vision.” The pilot’s decision-making process was negatively affected by this impaired perception, leading to inadequate judgments and an apparent fixation on maintaining visual flight rules. Additionally, the investigation noted a likely lowering of the pilot’s attention in relation to available information and operational stimuli under adverse conditions. There was no reaction to ground-proximity warnings, including “Caution Terrain” and “Pull Up” alerts, indicating difficulties in thinking and acting in the face of an imminent collision condition.