What happened
A positioning flight departed from Campo de Marte Airport at 13:34 local time, destined for Paraty. While the crew was descending toward Paraty Airport, they encountered instrument meteorological conditions. During the final approach, while attempting to operate under visual flight rules, the twin engine aircraft struck trees in a densely wooded, hilly area located several kilometers short of the runway. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and two fatalities, as both pilots were killed.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to crew performance and environmental conditions:
- Weather: Adverse weather conditions made visual flight difficult at the time of the accident.
- Crew Attention and Decision Making: The pilot's attention may have been diverted by observing another aircraft successfully land moments earlier. This likely motivated a high-risk decision to attempt a landing despite critical conditions. Furthermore, the presence of an unqualified co-pilot may have negatively impacted the pilot's cognitive processes.
- Operational Culture: A culture of competition among local pilots, where landing in poor weather was viewed as a sign of professional competence, contributed to an inaccurate assessment of operational risks.
- Aircraft Configuration: The crew failed to retract the landing gear during a second takeoff attempt. This failure to retract the landing gear likely degraded the aircraft's climb performance, preventing it from clearing obstacles.
- Situational Awareness: The crew demonstrated low situational awareness, leading to a controlled flight into terrain.
- Organizational Factors: The operator lacked formal systems for recruiting and monitoring pilots, which may have led to the use of unqualified crew members.