What happened
On January 25, 2001, an Aeronca 15 AC, registration PT-AMW, operated by Visual Propaganda Aérea Ltda, was performing aerial advertising (banner towing) along the coast of São Paulo. The aircraft departed from the Praia Grande aerodrome (SDPX) to perform towing operations as far north as Maresias.
During the return flight, the pilot decided to perform additional low-level passes over the Pitangueiras beach area in Guarujá. While flying near Morro do Tortuga at approximately 700 feet, the engine failed. The pilot attempted to restart the engine three times without success. To avoid the terrain, the pilot maneuvered toward the coastline and executed an emergency landing on the water. The pilot successfully abandoned the aircraft before it sank, and was rescued by a nearby boat. The pilot sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft's operational history and fuel consumption patterns. Although the aircraft's documentation and inspections were up to date, the investigation focused on the discrepancy between theoretical and actual fuel consumption. While the manufacturer's theoretical consumption for the model is approximately 25 l/h, recent flights showed an average of 30 l/h, and the flight immediately preceding the accident showed a rate of 39 l/h.
Because the aircraft and its flight logs were lost when the plane sank, investigators relied on air traffic control records and maintenance data. The investigation estimated the total flight time at 3 hours and 10 minutes. Based on the high consumption rate of 39 l/h, the remaining fuel in the tanks would have been approximately 12.94 liters, which is likely insufficient to account for taxiing, drainage, and unusable residual fuel.
Findings
- Fuel exhaustion was the most probable cause of the engine failure.
- The pilot's judgment contributed to the accident, as the decision to perform additional flight passes was made without adequately verifying the remaining fuel levels.
- Operational supervision was a contributing factor, as there was no established procedure to investigate the increasing trend in fuel consumption.
- The investigation noted that the pilot did not communicate several position reports to air traffic control during the flight.