Accident Sequence
The aircraft, owned by SOREM and leased to OMNI - Aviação e Tecnologia for firefighting missions, was dispatched in Portugal. After completing a scooping mission in the Aguíeira Reservoir off Chamadouro, the crew increased engine power and initiated a takeoff. During the procedure, directional control was lost. The takeoff was abandoned, but the aircraft collided with the shore and came to rest. Both pilots escaped uninjured, and the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined the primary cause to be a loss of directional control during takeoff and the subsequent track during deceleration after the abortion decision, as the crew attempted to avoid a collision with the bank. Contributing factors included poor Crew Resource Management, lack of crew communication, and orographic conditions substantially different from those in which the crew had received their training and developed their operational activities.