Balloon pilot who crashed in SC does not have a valid license for commercial flight

The pilot of the balloon that crashed on Saturday (21) in Praia Grande (SC), Elves de Bem Crescêncio, does not have a license to make a commercial flight, a document that is issued by Anac (Civil Aviation Agency).

According to information obtained by Folha , he only has the so-called Aeronautical Medical Certificate, which does not mean that he is qualified to fly commercially. This is a report on his physical condition and is part of the process to obtain the final qualification.

The data was confirmed to the press by Anac itself, when questioned about the matter. "Elves de Bem Crescêncio does not have a Free Balloon Pilot License (PBL)," the regulatory agency stated. His defense says he has the necessary documentation.

The agency's systems show that Crescêncio has a medical certificate that states he is fit to fly until July 26, 2026, but does not provide any information about his qualifications and commercial flight licenses, which are always displayed with his technical data, when they exist.

The balloon crashed on Saturday morning in a wooded area, about nine kilometers from the center of Praia Grande. The accident killed eight people and left 13 injured.

The requirement that balloon pilots have a license issued by ANAC is provided for in the Brazilian Civil Aviation Regulations (RBAC), approved by a resolution on May 6, 2017. This standard defines the requirements for obtaining, maintaining and revalidating pilot licenses and licenses in Brazil.

As with traditional motorized aircraft, to practice ballooning you need to be qualified and have a valid PBL (Free Balloon Pilot License). The exception, according to ANAC , is for sports practice.

To obtain a license, you must take classes at a flight school and have flight hours with an instructor before leaving the ground, just like airplane pilots.

Aeronautical registration and a certificate of airworthiness for the balloon are also required, as in tourist flights like the one that crashed after a fire this Saturday.

Together with a partner, Crescêncio is the owner of Sobrevoar, the company responsible for flights in Santa Catarina.

In a statement released after the accident, the company said that it complies with all ANAC regulations, that it had not recorded any previous accidents and that the pilot had extensive experience. According to Sobrevoar, Crescêncio adopted procedures recommended for the people in the basket.

The company was contacted via social media and telephone this Monday (23), but has not yet responded.

Crescêncio's lawyer, Clóvis Rogério, was questioned by the reporter and denied that his client only had the Medical Certificate. He said that the pilot had all the necessary documentation to operate the flight, according to ANAC rules.

The defense sent the press a "certificate and registration RBAC-103 (Brazilian Civil Aviation Regulation) Aerodesportista", to attest to his regular status. It turns out that this registration proves that Crescêncio is registered as a balloonist for sporting or recreational purposes only, not for commercial purposes.

RBAC standard 103 does not require a pilot's license issued by Anac, because it assumes that the aerosportsman, as the term itself indicates, flies on his own, without profit or paying passengers.

The regulation states that there is no guarantee of airworthiness. "We inform that the balloon that crashed on June 21 in Praia Grande (SC) was not certified," said the agency.

The situation changes when it comes to manned flights, such as the one carried out in Praia Grande. In this case, the pilot's classification becomes that stipulated in RBAC rule 61, which refers to any and all flight activity with manned aircraft.

When dealing with the applicability of a "free balloon pilot" license, standard 61 establishes requirements "distinct from the sports activities regulated by RBAC 103". The text requires, for example, that the candidate for a free balloon pilot license must have passed the Anac theoretical exam.

Before the accident, Anac regulatory experts were present in Praia Grande to discuss, on June 6, in meetings with representatives of the local tourism sector, Sebrae, the Ministry of Tourism and the local city hall, the "tourism potential of the Geopark", which involves seven cities in the region where ballooning is a prominent activity.

In a statement to the police, which was shown on Fantástico this Sunday (22), Crescêncio stated that he had 700 hours of flight time in the region and that he had assessed that there were conditions to take off.

Of the eight victims, four jumped from the balloon, which was already on fire, and from a higher height. The other four did not leave the basket and died from burns, according to the Santa Catarina Military Fire Department.