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Cessna emergency landing - instructor and trainee pilot questioned over two deaths

aircraftAlmadaBeachThe flight instructor and trainee pilot of the Cessna that landed on a crowded beach near Lisbon, appeared in court on Thursday over the violent deaths of José Lima, 56, and Sofia António, aged just 8.

The two men refused to speak to reporters as they arrived at the court in Almada for questioning by a prosecutor.

The pilot and the instructor may now be charged following this formal interview. The media is going for ‘negligent homicide’, which carries a prison sentence of up to 16 years.

Terrified beachgoers scattered as the plane landed on São João da Caparica beach on Wednesday after reportedly experiencing mechanical trouble.

The plane hit an eight-year-old girl and a 56-year-old man, killing them instantly. "The plane first hit the man, who had his back to it. Immediately after it rose up and when it descended again the wheel hit the child's head," said eye-witness, Filipe Janeira.

The girl was at the beach with her parents and was on her way to take a swim when she was hit.

Beachgoers surrounded the plane after it came to a halt on the sand, angrily confronting the two men who were unhurt and were led away from the Cessna by police.

The father of the girl who was killed said the pilot seemed to be in control of the plane as it was flying in a straight line despite appearing to have a broken wing, "In my opinion that individual wanted to land the plane without any concern for everyone else," he told TVi.

The instructor sent a Mayday-Mayday-Mayday emergency alert to the control tower, stating that his aircraft had suffered engine failure and that he was going to make an emergency landing.

The control tower asked which beach, and the instructor named a beach close to São João da Caparica which normally attracts fewer people. The pilot then landed on the busy tourist beach, with fatal consequences.

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Comments  

-1 #9 MiguelJavali 2017-08-07 14:54
Quoting Emma B:
Think both should be arrested for recklessly landing and air craft where people were on the beach. The two people who crashed landed survived and the innocent people on the beach died.

The pilot is always in charge, the student was not, hence he is not culpable.
-1 #8 Charly 2017-08-07 14:31
Emma B,
please don't !
Let the EXPERTS doing their job ..
* unless you are an expert in criminal matters
* unless you are a member of PJ
* unless you are an expert from Civil Aviation Inspection
* unless you are a flight instructor
* unless you are an eye whitness
Unfortunately you are non of them, aren't you ?
So, please stop being ridiculous and luducrous beause that's definitely not nice.
-1 #7 Emma B 2017-08-06 22:29
Think both should be arrested for recklessly landing and air craft where people were on the beach. The two people who crashed landed survived and the innocent people on the beach died.
+1 #6 Bev Ewen-Smith 2017-08-06 13:18
The video shows that the Cessna had an unusually high nose up attitude and an exceptionally high rate of descent - witness the broken wing. I guess this was the commander's decision to risk injury to the crew on impact with the ground but to try to minimise the ground roll and hence minimise any possible injuries to those on the ground. Sadly with such a nose high attitude, it is doubtful if they could actually see the touchdown point before impact. In such a situation, decisions have to be made in seconds whereas armchair critics have plenty of time to rehearse their arguments.
+3 #5 Jack Reacher 2017-08-05 10:43
What the pilot should have done is ditched the plane in the sea as near to the beach as possible. Instead he manages to line the plane up with supposed engine failure and a broken wing and land on a crowded beach, killing two innocent people. Guess he was looking after himself and the student first, never mind any collateral damage.
+3 #4 Charly 2017-08-05 00:17
Hello Marge, mr Roy Carpenter used to be a highly appreciated RAF instructor and a pilot with several thousands of flight hours on his credit. He definitely knows what he says !
+3 #3 Roy Carpenter 2017-08-04 22:59
In any training flight the instructor is the 'pilot in command' at all times and should take over in the event of any emergency. Therefore the student can only be a witness and not chargeable.
Names will not be released until an investigation checks whether the aircraft was controllable at the time of landing. If (albeit unlikely) the wing broke prior to the landing then it could be a case of accidental death.
+2 #2 Charly 2017-08-04 21:29
Marge, why would you make the process in the press instead of the courtroom ? And why are you convinced these people are criminals ? This is an accident, remember and that can happen as well to you as to me
(I have a monomotor pilot license)
-3 #1 Marge 2017-08-04 21:04
Certainly a sad event that could have happened anywhere. But, to someone from the north, the total anonymity in the papers is striking. Absolutely no one wants to name the pilot or trainee. Denounce them. Still far too risky that they have connections - and, having 'got off' with the minimum punishment, will come after anyone who Defamed them.
Yet the same event involving Portuguese described up north would get republished here in Portugal with their names. Explain that !

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