What happened
On January 29, 1996, a Beechcraft BE-65, registration PT-CCZ, departed from Anápolis, GO, bound for Luziânia, GO. The aircraft was performing a flight following maintenance services at the Anápolis aerodrome. On board were the pilot, the aircraft owner, and one passenger.
Witnesses observed that after takeoff, the aircraft performed a left turn but failed to climb, maintaining a low altitude. As the aircraft entered a windward leg, the pilot increased the angle of attack to maintain level flight. This resulted in a loss of airspeed and a subsequent stall of the right wing, sending the aircraft into a descending spiral. During its descent, the aircraft struck an urban power transmission line before impacting a residential area, where it caught fire and was completely destroyed. All three fatalities occurred at the scene.
The investigation
The investigation by CENIPA focused on the mechanical state of the aircraft and the pilot's qualifications. Although the aircraft's logbooks were destroyed in the fire, a mechanic who had performed repairs minutes before takeoff reported that the engines were in a precarious condition. Specifically, the right engine had five cylinders operating outside of manufacturer-required compression parameters, and the left engine had two cylinders with similar issues. Additionally, fuel hoses were found to be expired and other hoses were severely dried out.
Regarding the crew, the investigation established that the pilot was flying with expired commercial licenses and an expired IFR rating. Furthermore, the pilot had very limited experience with this specific aircraft type, having flown it only once in the preceding month.
Findings
- Deficient judgment by the pilot, who operated the aircraft despite being aware of its marginal mechanical condition.
- Inadequate maintenance and a lack of proper oversight by the aircraft owner, who allowed the flight to proceed despite warnings from mechanics.
- Flight indiscipline, as the pilot operated the aircraft with expired certifications.
- Improper safety doctrine, characterized by a disregard for safety standards by both the pilot and the owner, who reportedly pressured mechanics to release the aircraft for flight.
- Loss of control likely caused by a failure to maintain minimum control speed during a single-engine operation, leading to a right-wing stall.