What happened
On January 8, 2022, an EMB-202 aircraft, registration PT-UKZ, was performing agricultural spraying operations near Nova Ubiratã, Mato Grosso. While the pilot was executing a repositioning maneuver to begin a new application, the aircraft suffered a sudden loss of control and collided with vegetation. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and fatal injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the wreckage and found that the left wing had separated from the fuselage, with the wing being located approximately 50 meters from the main debris field. The engine and propeller also detached during the impact.
Technical analysis of the wreckage revealed that the left wing spar experienced two distinct types of failure: fatigue on the lower spar and overload on the upper spar. Investigators identified corrosion on the wing attachment supports, which had led to material loss. Specifically, the lower spar failed due to fatigue originating from corrosion around a 3/16-inch fastener hole. This primary failure left the upper spar unable to support the resulting loads, especially when the aircraft struck trees during the descent, leading to the complete separation of the wing.
Although the aircraft had undergone a 100-hour inspection approximately one month prior to the accident—which included tasks related to inspecting wing spars and attachment elements—the corrosion was already present. The investigation noted that the operator did not provide the aircraft's logbooks or the pilot's physical flight logs, making it impossible to verify the currency of certain maintenance records or recent flight experience requirements.
Findings
- Corrosion-induced fatigue in the lower spar of the left wing was the primary cause of the structural failure.
- Inadequate maintenance execution or improper interpretation of service bulletins may have prevented the identification of the ongoing corrosion.
- Inadequate management supervision at the maintenance organization may have failed to ensure that technical staff correctly identified and addressed structural issues during required inspections.