Not all aviation accidents happen in flight

November 24, 2023 by Eric Bradley

An aviation accident that occurred in Brazil recently provides us with a timely reminder that accidents can occur for a wide variety of reasons.

A force of nature

Even the best planning can not prepare us for everything that can go wrong in aviation. One of the most fearsome dangers we face is Mother Nature herself!

Fortunately in the most recent incident involving multiple aircraft, there were no injuries. This is because there were no people anywhere near the aircraft at the time of the incident and all the aircraft were parked.

In fact, the damage to the aircraft happened because they were parked. If they had been airborne at the time, the squadron of Super Tucanos could have flown above the tempest that struck the nearby city of Pirassununga and escaped unscathed.

Instead, the ravages of the tempest were so intense, the structure the aircraft were sheltering under was brought down, causing extensive damage.

Pirassununga frequently experiences strong winds, making it surprising that the building was not engineered to a standard that would have prevented collapse in tempest conditions.

The almost persistent situation of gale force winds is believed to have been a factor in the choice by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to have the Air Force Academy constructed close to Pirassununga.

Training in these conditions can help pilots develop strong skills and a can-do attitude. This is adequately reflected in the immense skill shown by members of the FAB Aerobatic Team.