What happened
A twin-engine aircraft departed from Manaus-Aeroclub de Flores Airport, originally destined for Barra do Garças. The flight was operated with one pilot and one passenger on board. Following the initial takeoff from Manaus, the pilot altered the flight plan to divert to Sorocaba.
While performing the final approach to Sorocaba-Bertram Luiz Leupolz Airport under favorable weather conditions, the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a forested area situated approximately one kilometer before reaching runway 18. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the twin-engine aircraft. There were 2 fatalities and no survivors among the crew and passengers. No fire was reported at the crash site.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to operational errors. A primary factor was flight indiscipline, specifically regarding the pilot's failure to adhere to minimum fuel requirements, which led to both engines losing power during flight due to fuel exhaustion.
Additional findings included:
- Poor piloting judgment concerning how the selected flight level would impact overall fuel consumption.
- Inadequate flight planning, particularly involving errors in fuel calculations and the selection of cruise altitudes.
- Deficiencies in the decision-making process, which hindered the pilot's ability to properly analyze available fuel versus the distance required to reach the destination.