Small Plane Crashes in Mogi Mirim; Pilot Killed

Overview

• The single-engine aircraft crashed in a rural area near Rodovia Luiz Gonzaga de Amoedo Campos in Mogi Mirim on Wednesday, igniting a fire that was contained by four fire-service vehicles.
• Emergency crews found one occupant, the pilot, dead and carbonized at the wreckage; the victim was later identified as 25-year-old Leonardo Bezerra Pinheiro, an engineer, commercial pilot and instructor at the Sport Pilot flight school.
• The flight school owner told reporters that the plane had been refueled with slightly more fuel than usual before takeoff and that the refueler reported a loss of control after liftoff, but those accounts are preliminary and not confirmed by investigators.
• The Brazilian Air Force’s CENIPA (SERIPA IV) carried out on-site initial actions to collect evidence and assess damage and will lead a formal investigation to determine causes and any safety recommendations.
• Sport Pilot and the local aeroclub say aircraft and personnel documentation were current and that they will cooperate with authorities as investigators work to establish sequence, technical factors and any operational lessons.