What happened
On January 31, 2020, a Tecnam P2002 Sierra, registered as LV-S014, was conducting a local flight training mission at Cañuelas Aerodrome in Buenos Aires. The aircraft departed at approximately 16:00 UTC for a training session. After roughly one hour and 40 minutes of flight under visual flight rules (VFR), the aircraft entered a takeoff-and-touch maneuver. During the climb phase, the pilot experienced a loss of control at low altitude that could not be recovered. The aircraft impacted the ground, and a subsequent fire destroyed the airframe, engine, and propeller. The two occupants of the aircraft, the pilot and the instructor, both sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The Argentine Transportation Safety Board (JST) examined the wreckage, the flight school's records, and the regulatory environment. The investigation noted that the pilot had approximately 149 total flight hours, while the instructor had an estimated 600 hours of experience. While the aircraft's maintenance and weight and balance were within limits, the investigation scrutinized the fuel used and the regulatory status of the flight school. Investigators found that the flight school was operating under an extension of its certification, as its formal transition to new regulatory standards had been pending for over five years. Additionally, the investigation looked into the use of automotive gasoline, which contains 12% ethanol, noting that the engine manufacturer, Rotax, does not recommend fuel with ethanol content exceeding 10%.
Findings
- The aircraft suffered an unrecoverable loss of control at a low altitude.
- The specific origin of the loss of control could not be definitively determined by the investigation.
- There was a potential risk regarding the use of automotive gasoline, as the 12% ethanol content in local fuel exceeds the 10% limit recommended by the engine manufacturer.
- The flight school was operating under regulatory extensions that had not been updated to meet the latest certification deadlines.
- Discrepancies were identified between the aircraft's flight manual and the engine manufacturer's limitations regarding fuel types.