What happened
On January 24, 2001, a Beechcraft F33A was performing a flight from Pousada do Rio Quente, GO, to Uberaba, MG. The flight was part of a larger itinerary that had begun in Sorocaba, SP. After a brief stop in Pousada do Rio Quente without refueling, the aircraft was approximately 25 minutes into the final leg of the flight when the engine ceased operation while over the city of Uberlândia.
The pilot attempted to restart the engine by switching the fuel selector to the right tank, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The aircraft entered a forced landing trajectory, eventually striking two residences and a vehicle in the Taiamã neighborhood. The impact caused severe damage to the aircraft's fuselage, wings, landing gear, and horizontal stabilizer. Despite the significant damage to the airframe and the destruction of property, the pilot emerged uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the fuel management and the pilot's emergency procedures. Investigators found that while the aircraft had sufficient total fuel for the flight, the left wing tank had been completely exhausted. The investigation revealed that the pilot had been switching between the left and right tanks in a random manner, leading to the depletion of one side while the other remained partially full.
Furthermore, the investigation examined the pilot's emergency actions during the descent. It was noted that the pilot extended the landing gear during the engine-out phase, which increased aerodynamic drag and reduced the aircraft's gliding performance. The investigation also identified that an unobstructed landing area was available only 200 meters to the right of the actual impact site.
Findings
- Inadequate fuel management: The pilot did not properly monitor or control the fuel consumption between the two tanks, leading to the exhaustion of the left tank.
- Deficient judgment: The pilot extended the landing gear during the emergency, contrary to standard procedures for landing on unprepared terrain, which degraded the glide ratio.
- Poor landing site selection: The aircraft struck residential buildings despite the presence of an obstacle-free area nearby.
- Limited aircraft experience: Although the pilot was experienced in general flight, they had only 10 hours of flight time in this specific model, having acquired the aircraft only 30 days prior to the accident.