What happened
On October 2, 2012, a CAP-4 aircraft, registration PT-KZA, departed from the Campos dos Amarais State Aerodrome in Campinas, Brazil, for a local flight instruction mission. The crew consisted of a flight instructor and a student pilot undergoing private pilot training.
During the flight, the student pilot initiated a simulated engine failure procedure. However, the actual engine malfunctioned and suffered a complete shutdown. The instructor took control of the aircraft and attempted to perform engine restart procedures, but was unsuccessful. Consequently, the instructor performed a forced landing in a rural property approximately 15 nautical miles from the departure aerodrome. Both occupants of the aircraft were uninjured, though the aircraft sustained light damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the airworthiness of the aircraft and the qualifications of the crew. The instructor held valid commercial pilot and flight instructor ratings, and both crew members possessed valid medical certificates. The aircraft held a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and was operating within weight and balance limits under favorable meteorological conditions.
Investigators inspected the engine following the event. After performing various tests following engine warm-up, no abnormalities or mechanical failures were detected, and the engine was found to be fully operational. However, the investigation noted that the maintenance logs for the airframe, engine, and propeller were not up to date, lacking required signatures and official ANAC codes, and some entries contained erasures.
Findings
- The engine failure occurred during a simulated emergency drill.
- Incomplete maintenance documentation prevented the establishment of a definitive cause for the engine shutdown, as the logs were not properly updated according to regulatory standards.
- No mechanical cause for the engine failure could be identified through post-incident testing.