What happened
On December 26, 2014, an Aero Boero AB-115, registration PP-FLD, was performing a local flight at Aeródromo Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf (SBSJ) in São José dos Campos, Brazil. The aircraft was operated by Aeroclube de São José dos Campos with two pilots on board: one holding a Private Pilot license and the other a Commercial Pilot license.
During the landing phase on runway 15, the aircraft experienced a loss of control on the ground. The aircraft performed a 180-degree yaw, causing the right wing to strike the ground before the plane veered off the runway. Following the excursion, the aircraft was taxied back to the aeroclub apron. The incident resulted in light damage to the aircraft, but both occupants remained uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation by CENIPA faced significant limitations as the authorities were only notified of the occurrence eleven days after the event. Consequently, several critical pieces of data could not be retrieved, including the aircraft's weight and balance at the time of the incident, remaining fuel levels, and the maintenance status of the engine, propeller, and airframe logs. While the pilots held valid medical certificates and the aircraft possessed a valid Certificate of Airworthiness, specific details regarding the crew's flight hours and qualifications at the time of the event were unavailable.
Findings
- The Aero Boero AB-115 is a high-wing aircraft with a conventional landing gear configuration that is inherently dynamically unstable, particularly when the tailwheel is off the ground.
- The aircraft's design, characterized by a short distance between the main gear and the tailwheel combined with engine torque, makes directional control difficult during takeoff and landing.
- Inadequate pilot judgment or improper use of flight controls has been identified as a recurring contributing factor in similar ground control loss incidents involving this specific model within the CENIPA database.