What happened
On January 28, 1996, at approximately 16:15 local time, an EMB 810 C Sêneca II, registration PT-ELC, was performing a commercial air taxi operation at an unregistered and uncertified airfield in Senador Pompeu, Ceará. After departing from Fortaleza, the pilot arrived at the destination and performed several low passes along the longitudinal axis of the runway to alert bystanders of the approaching aircraft.
Following the landing, as the aircraft was decelerating at a speed of approximately 40 knots, a motorcyclist suddenly entered the runway and collided with the leading edge of the left wing. The impact caused a small dent in the wing structure. The motorcyclist sustained fatal head trauma and died at the scene. The crew and passengers on board the aircraft remained uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the airfield used for the operation was neither registered nor homologated. The pilot had previously operated at this location and had even called the airfield prior to landing to request that bystanders be cleared from the runway area. The investigation found that the pilot, the operator (Uirapuru Táxi Aéreo), and the airfield owner were aware of the irregular status of the airstrip but continued to conduct operations there.
Investigators noted that the motorcyclist was operating the vehicle in a state of advanced intoxication. While the pilot attempted an evasive maneuver, the angle of the collision (greater than 45 degrees from the side) placed the motorcyclist outside the pilot's forward field of vision, making a timely reaction impossible.
Findings
- Deficient infrastructure: The airfield lacked any form of perimeter fencing or isolation to prevent bystanders from occupying the runway or its adjacent areas.
- Inadequate planning: The operation was conducted at an uncertified airstrip, and the pilot assumed the inherent risks of using a non-regulated landing site.
- Lack of oversight: There was a failure in supervision by both the aircraft operator and the airfield owner, allowing irregular operations to persist.
- Operational non-compliance: The investigation identified a deliberate disregard for aviation regulations and norms by the pilot, the operator, and the airfield owner.
- Unpredictable hazard: The presence of an intoxicated individual entering the runway was considered a foreseeable risk due to the lack of area isolation.