What happened
On January 3, 2017, a Neiva EMB-202, registration PT-UTE, took off from an improvised landing strip at Fazenda Santa Clara, located in Palmares do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, for agricultural spraying operations. The aircraft was being operated by Mostardas Av. Agric. e Manutencao Ltda. for crop dusting in a rice field.
Shortly after takeoff, while performing a right-hand turn, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted an emergency landing but struck an irrigation canal dike, causing the aircraft to capsize. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, though the pilot escaped the wreckage uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators established that the pilot had completed three successful flights earlier that day, all of which utilized the right fuel tank. During the fourth flight, the pilot failed to switch the fuel selector to the left tank, which contained 70 liters of AvGas. Preliminary inspections at the scene revealed that the right fuel tank was empty.
The investigation also identified maintenance documentation discrepancies. The aircraft's airframe logbook (Part I) had not been updated since March 2015, and there were no recent entries in the engine or propeller logbooks. Furthermore, investigators found a lack of operational oversight from the operator regarding the monitoring of pilot performance and activities.
Findings
- A memory lapse by the pilot regarding the fuel switching procedure led to the interruption of fuel flow to the engine.
- The engine failure occurred at a low altitude, leaving insufficient time to switch tanks or restart the engine.
- Inadequate organizational processes within the operator's structure failed to provide necessary supervision of flight operations.
- Maintenance record-keeping for the airframe, engine, and propeller was outdated.