Accident Details
On a night flight, a twin-engine aircraft departed Belém-Val de Cans-Júlio Cezar Ribeiro Airport at 1907 local time, bound for Almeirim. The aircraft carried one pilot and nine employees of a company involved in constructing a hydro-electric station. After an eventful flight at flight level 85, the pilot began descent and contacted ground at 2023 local time. During the final approach in darkness, the aircraft descended too low, struck the ground 5 kilometers short of the runway, and burst into flames. The aircraft was destroyed, and all ten occupants were killed.
Official Investigation Findings
The investigation identified multiple findings. The pilot accepted the flight despite lacking sufficient experience in the aircraft and being the sole crewmember on a night operation. He reportedly called his father before the flight, expressing insecurity about conducting it. The pilot's motivation for career advancement may have influenced his decision to operate the flight despite low confidence. The flight's characteristics—nighttime, remote Amazon jungle region, and the pilot's first solo flight in the aircraft—likely impaired his perception and situational awareness.
The company expedited the pilot's operational progression, potentially depriving him of necessary experience. The company's work organization assigned a pilot not fully adapted to night flights without an artificial horizon and allowed takeoffs with weight exceeding manual limits. Prioritization of financial considerations over operational safety may have led to designating a single, inexperienced pilot for nine passengers.
During landing preparation, the pilot likely allowed speed and power to drop below the minimum required for level flight on the downwind leg. The runway's isolated location in the Amazon, lacking visual references at night, contributed to the pilot's difficulty maintaining flight. Inadequate training left the pilot without essential technical abilities. The company's decision to assign a short-experienced pilot without a copilot for a night flight to a jungle aerodrome increased operational risk; the risk management process was probably inappropriate. It was the pilot's first night flight without a copilot, and his limited experience likely hindered task management and situational awareness.
It was not determined whether the company chose to omit a copilot to transport a ninth passenger, potentially disregarding the aircraft's airworthiness certificate requirements.