Introduction
On a local instrument training flight from Belo Horizonte's Pampulha Airport, an aircraft overran the runway during a touch-and-go landing, resulting in substantial damage and minor injuries.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft departed from Pampulha – Carlos Drummond de Andrade Aerodrome at approximately 1835 local time for a training flight with three persons on board: two pilots and an extra crew member. The mission involved instrument approaches and touch-and-go landings. The flight proceeded without incident until the first approach.
During the landing roll after touchdown, the aircraft continued beyond the departure end of Runway 13, deviating slightly to the right of the runway centerline. It struck a protective fence located past the runway end and came to rest 95 meters from the runway limits. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot-in-command (PIC) suffered minor injuries; the second-in-command (SIC) and the extra crew member were not injured.
Probable Cause
The official investigation identified the following contributing factors:
- Attitude: The pilots' attitude was a contributor, evident during improvised go-around procedures and continuation of the approach under marginal safety conditions, reflecting difficulties in crew thinking and action.
- Communication: Lack of clear and assertive communication between pilots at the time of the decision to abort the takeoff, and unclear definition of which pilot had control of the aircraft, contributed to the overrun.
- Crew Resource Management: Inadequate management of tasks during the transition to the takeoff run after touchdown, combined with poor communication, led to improper ground handling and the runway excursion.
- Handling of Aircraft Flight Controls: Ineffective control inputs during final approach and the attempt to stop the aircraft after touchdown, along with application of elevator trim in the wrong direction after landing, contributed to the excursion.
- Piloting Judgment: Inadequate assessment of aircraft operation parameters when attempting to abort the takeoff after reaching 147 knots without evaluating remaining runway length.
- Flight Planning: Inadequate flight preparation, with insufficient time allocated for pilots to prepare the aircraft for the return and carry out the descent procedure, resulting in an unstable approach.