Piper PA28 accident near Minas City, Br, December 26, 2012
On December 26, 2012 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Piper PA28, registered PRNAX, was destroyed in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Minas City (Pará De Minas airport). It was an instructional flight under non-U.S. private rules. 2 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 2012 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Minas City, Brazil · Pará De Minas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 181 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- PRNAX · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On December 26, 2012, at 2050 universal coordinated time, a Piper PA-28-181, Brazilian registration PR-NAX, was destroyed when it impacted the ground after the crew lost control during a go around. The instructor pilot and student were fatally injured. The instructor pilot was conducting flight instruction at the Para de Minas aerodome, Para de Minas City, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This accident investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center (CENIPA) of Brazil. Any further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center CENIPA SHIS – QI 05-VI Comar Brasília-DF, Brazil 71.615-600 Telephone: (55-61) 3364-8838 Fax: (55-61) 3365-1004 dac.saai@cenipa.aer.mil.br This report is for informational purposes and contains only information released by the Government of Brazil.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
Flight instructor
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: SNPA Minas City at 8:50 pm
- Destination: SNPA Minas City
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.