What happened
On April 18, 1990, a Beechcraft BE-35, registration PT-BNX, was performing a visual flight rules (VFR) repositioning flight from Cornélio Procópio to Toledo, Paraná. As the aircraft approached the Paiçandu region, meteorological conditions deteriorated significantly. Local witnesses reported hearing the aircraft flying above a thick cloud layer; shortly thereafter, they observed the aircraft emerging from the clouds in a steep, nose-down attitude, crashing violently into the ground.
The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and one fatality involving the pilot. There were no injuries to third parties.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the pilot was operating with both an expired commercial pilot license and an expired medical certificate. Furthermore, neither the pilot nor the aircraft were certified or equipped for flight by instruments (IFR).
Investigators analyzed meteorological data from the nearby Maringá airport, which confirmed heavy cloud cover and rain in the area at the time of the accident. The investigation concluded that the pilot likely attempted to penetrate the cloud layer to regain visual contact with the terrain. This maneuver likely led to spatial disorientation, causing the pilot to lose control of the aircraft during a descent.
Findings
- Loss of control due to spatial disorientation after entering instrument conditions without proper certification.
- Inadequate flight planning, as the pilot failed to verify meteorological conditions along the route prior to departure.
- Flight indiscipline, characterized by operating with expired pilot licenses and medical certificates, and proceeding into IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) without IFR authorization.
- Impaired decision-making driven by stress and anxiety while attempting to navigate through deteriorating weather.