What happened
On September 26, 2008, at 20:20 UTC, an Aero Boero AB-115, registration PP-GEH, was performing a local instructional flight at Belém Novo (SSBN) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The aircraft was operated by Aeroclube do Rio Grande do Sul for a private pilot training mission. On board were an instructor and a student pilot, who had only two hours of total flight time.
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft was positioned slightly misaligned with the runway centerline, favoring the left side. As power was applied, the student pilot failed to apply sufficient right rudder to counteract the engine torque, causing the aircraft to yaw significantly to the left. The instructor attempted to correct the deviation, but the student pilot inadvertently applied the left brake and rudder pedal, further destabilizing the aircraft.
As the aircraft accelerated, the tail lifted, and the leftward deviation increased. The aircraft exited the runway approximately 170 meters from the threshold and collided with a vehicle parked on taxiway E. The vehicle was unoccupied at the time. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller, engine, and left wing strut, but both occupants escaped without injury.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators determined that the aircraft was in an airworthy condition and that no technical malfunctions contributed to the event. The investigation focused on operational and organizational factors. It was established that the student pilot was in the early stages of training, specifically the pre-solo phase, where learning is primarily focused on memorizing procedures.
The investigation revealed that the instructor had handed over primary flight controls to the student during the takeoff roll to provide additional experience, a decision that did not account for the student's limited cognitive development regarding aircraft handling. Furthermore, the investigation identified deficiencies in the flight school's organizational culture, noting a lack of standardized instructor recruitment, absence of performance evaluations, and inadequate training manuals that failed to detail specific takeoff and rejected takeoff (RTO) procedures for the AB-115 model.