Investigators Say Pilot Errors Led to the Plane Crash That Killed Presidential Candidate Campos

01/20/2016 - 08h28

The Air Force´s investigation into the death of former governor of Pernambuco State Eduardo Campos concluded that the plane crashed due to disorientation and inability of the pilots, who did not follow landing procedures in adverse weather conditions.

Eduardo Campos died in Santos (SP), on 13 August 2014 at 10h03, after the plane in which he flew, a Cessna Citation 560XLS model, with PR-AFA prefix, crashed into a residential neighborhood. Six other people died in the accident.

Campos was 49 years old and was a candidate for presidency for PSB. After his death, Marina Silva, running for vice-presidency, took his position and finished in the third place in the elections.

According to Cenipa (Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center), lack of knowledge of the aircraft and the landing area and errors of judgment under stress caused the pilots to lose control of the aircraft following an aborted landing.

According to the investigations conducted by Lieutenant Colonel Raul de Souza, the pilots ignored the landing recommendations of the model manufacturer and the landing strip.

"Well-trained, qualified, rested pilots without such levels of stress would greatly reduce the possibilities of crashing down. But loss of spatial orientation can also happens in these situations", he said.

Even the aircraft´s route to approach the runway was made in the wrong way. According to Souza, a shorter path, used by the pilots, would have saved 5 minutes.

The investigations dismiss errors in the aircraft design - similar models were involved in a string of incidents.

Translated by MARINA DELLA VALLE

	Davi Ribeiro/Folhapress
	View of the site of the crash of the Cessna 560XL aircraft carrying the presidential candidate of the PSB Eduardo Campos