What happened
On February 17, 1997, at approximately 07:20 local time, a Cessna 188A, registration PT-DRD, crashed in a soybean field near Primavera do Leste, Mato Grosso. The aircraft had departed at 07:00 for a visual flight. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, which struck the ground at a steep 30-degree nose-down angle. Although the pilot was rescued by family members and transported to a hospital in Cuiabá, the injuries sustained were fatal.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation revealed a significant lack of regulatory compliance regarding both the personnel and the aircraft. The investigation found that the pilot held no valid pilot license or medical certificate, having received flight instruction solely from his father, who was also unlicensed.
Regarding the aircraft, the Cessamente 188A was operating with an expired airworthiness inspection and a suspended Certificate of Airworthiness. The aircraft lacked a maintenance logbook and insurance. Physical examination of the wreckage, though conducted eight days after the event, showed that the engine was operating normally at the time of impact and that the control cables were neither broken nor jammed. The investigation ruled out engine failure or a spin, concluding that the aircraft likely entered a low-altitude stall due to improper control inputs.
Findings
- Inadequate training: The pilot was unlicensed and had received instruction from an unauthorized individual.
- Flight indiscipline: The operation was conducted in intentional violation of aeronautical regulations.
- Lack of oversight: The aircraft owner permitted an unqualified individual to operate the aircraft.
- Improper control application: The pilot likely failed to recognize pre-stall conditions and failed to execute necessary corrections, leading to a stall.