Date:	Monday 28 June 2021
Time:	13:05 UTC
Type:	Eurocopter AS 350B3 Ecureuil
Owner/operator:	Corpo de Bombeiros Militar de Minas Gerais
Registration:	PT-SUS
MSN:	7909
Year of manufacture:	2017
Engine model:	Turbomeca Arriel 2
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	4 km N of Jequitaí, Minas Gerais -   Brazil
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Ambulance
Departure airport:	Montes Claros Airport, MG (MOC/SBMK)
Destination airport:	Jequitaí, Minas Gerais
Investigating agency:	CENIPA
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The helicopter took off from Montes Claros Airport, bound for an unregistered landing area, located in the municipality of Jequitaí, MG, around 12:35 UTC, in order to provide an aeromedical service, with a pilot, a tactical air operator, a doctor and a nurse on board. During landing at the destination, a cloud of dust formed (brownout) and the aircraft tipped laterally to the left. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot, the tactical air operator and the nurse were unharmed.

Contributing factors.
- Attitude – a contributor.
The pilot’s decision to proceed with the landing despite the loss of ground visibility demonstrated difficulties in his way of thinking and reacting, as well as a reduced ability to respond accurately to external stimuli. Considering the similar situation previously experienced by the PIC one week before the occurrence, there was evidence of an
underestimation of risk and an overestimation of his ability to control unfolding events.
- Disorientation – a contributor.
The occurrence of brownout during a critical phase of flight impaired the maintenance of external visual references and increased the likelihood of spatial disorientation. As a result, the helicopter drifted to the left, and the left skid contacted the ground, initiating a dynamic rollover that caused the aircraft to overturn and come to rest on its left side.
- Piloting judgment – a contributor.
The PIC performed two initial go-arounds after recognizing the risk of loss of visibility, but on the third attempt chose to continue the landing, even without clear visual references. This decision reflected a judgment error that proved critical at that moment and directly contributed to the loss of visual references and the aircraft’s rollover.
- Motivation – undetermined.
Air medical operations intended to save human lives tend to elevate the motivation to complete the mission, and consequently, the potential risks in its execution. This drive may lead to self-imposed pressure that can eventually cause the crew to operate with reduced safety margins. It is possible that the PIC felt pressured by the urgency of the air medical mission, which led him to proceed with the third landing attempt despite the absence of visual references.
- Perception – a contributor.
The PIC’s inadequate perception during the third landing attempt was identified as a contributing factor. It was found that the PIC experienced difficulties in recognizing and interpreting external stimuli related to the operational environment, which directly impacted the safety and effectiveness of the maneuver. In that scenario, he underestimated the severity of the visibility loss caused by the brownout effect and, even with guidance from the tactical operator, failed to perceive the aircraft’s lateral movement during landing.
- Flight planning – a contributor.
The flight planning was inadequate, as it did not take into account the risks associated with landing on sandy terrain, where brownout could occur. This was a decisive factor in the accident, as the characteristics of the terrain led to the loss of visibility during landing.
- Decision-making process – a contributor.
The PIC demonstrated difficulty in properly analyzing the situation, resulting in a misjudgment of the terrain conditions and the available visual references. This led him to persist with the third landing attempt, even after experiencing problems caused by brownout during the two previous attempts. This decision may have been associated with an unconscious bias influenced by the PIC’s prior experience, as he had successfully completed a similar landing the previous week.
- Other – Environmental influence - a contributor.
During the landing operation, brownout was present—a phenomenon experienced by helicopter pilots during landing and takeoff in environments with sand or dust particles, which causes the formation of dust clouds due to the downwash produced by the main rotor, hindering the maintenance of visual flight references in such operations

• G1:
- https://g1.globo.com/mg/grande-minas/noticia/2021/06/28/helicoptero-do-corpo-de-bombeiros-sofre-acidente-no-norte-de-minas.ghtml
• O Estado de Minas:
- https://www.em.com.br/app/noticia/gerais/2021/06/28/interna_gerais,1281190/cai-helicoptero-do-corpo-de-bombeiros-de-minas.shtml
• IstoÉ:
- https://istoe.com.br/mg-helicoptero-do-corpo-de-bombeiros-sofre-acidente-a-caminho-de-resgate/

Vídeo registra o momento do pouso do helicóptero do Corpo de Bombeiro na cidade de Jequitaí, no Norte de Minas

Na manobra, subiu uma nuvem de poeira que desorientou o piloto e levou à queda.https://t.co/llrQ1kIoPb pic.twitter.com/1WSYEMicLc

— Estado de Minas (@em_com) June 28, 2021

Um helicóptero do Corpo de Bombeiros SAMU cai nessa manhã de segunda-feira (28) em Jequitaí, no Norte de Minas.

SIGA: @nortedeminasmg

Assista no YOUTUBE: https://t.co/NZ5LAaP0VU#nortedeminas #mg #acidente #samu #brasil pic.twitter.com/OmbqnT9yN4

— Norte de Minas MG (@nortedeminasmg) June 28, 2021

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Jun-2021 19:26	Anon.	Added
28-Jun-2021 19:28	harro	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Embed code, ]
28-Jun-2021 19:30	harro	Updated [Phase, Nature, Embed code, Narrative, ]
28-Jun-2021 19:40	harro	Updated [Destination airport, Embed code, Category, ]
28-Jun-2021 19:43	harro	Updated [Total occupants, Location, Embed code, Narrative, ]
03-Jul-2021 06:10	Lucas.L	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
23-Jul-2025 13:18	ASN	Updated [Narrative, Accident report, ]