What happened
On July 5, 1998, during the II Campinas Aeroshow at the Amarais Aerodrome (SDAM) in Campinas, Brazil, a Sukhoi SU-29, registration PT-ZSS, crashed during an unscheduled aerobatic demonstration. The aircraft and its two occupants, the pilot in the rear nacelle and the aircraft owner in the front nacelle, both died at the scene.
Although not part of the official event program, the crew decided to perform a series of maneuvers. To avoid delays in the schedule, the crew performed a rushed takeoff in the opposite direction of the active runway, nearly colliding with an aircraft that was landing at that moment. During the flight, the crew performed several maneuvers, including ascending loops. However, while executing a maneuver at an altitude below the minimum safety requirements, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled dive at an angle of approximately 60 degrees to the ground. The impact was so violent that the aircraft exploded and was consumed by fire.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the crew was operating under highly compromised conditions. The aircraft owner, occupying the front seat, had consumed alcohol, with a blood alcohol concentration of 1.0 g/l, and was also taking Clonazepam, a medication that can impair psychomotor reflexes. Additionally, the crew had been awake since 3:00 AM, leading to significant fatigue. The pilot in the rear seat was flying with an expired technical certificate (CHT).
Investigators also noted a lack of coordination between the pilots regarding who would control the aircraft during specific maneuvers. Furthermore, the event organizers were found to have provided insufficient supervision, as they allowed an unscheduled flight to proceed and failed to have fire-fighting services immediately available; the fire brigade arrived approximately 15 minutes after the impact.
Findings
- Impairment and Fatigue: The primary contributing factor was the physiological state of the crew, specifically the blood alcohol concentration of the front pilot and the extreme fatigue resulting from lack of sleep.
- Unsafe Maneuvering: The flight was conducted at altitudes below the established safety minimums.
- Operational Failures: Deficiencies in flight planning and cockpit coordination, as the pilots had not clearly defined responsibility for maneuvers or emergency interventions.
- Lack of Oversight: Inadequate supervision by event organizers, who permitted an unprogrammed flight and lacked immediate emergency response capabilities.
- Psychological Factors: The front pilot was experiencing high levels of anxiety and irritation following a car accident earlier that morning.