What happened
On January 31, 2007, an EMB-201 aircraft, registration PT-GNO, was engaged in agricultural spraying operations at Fazenda Novo Horizonte in Formosa do/Rio Preto, Bahia. The pilot had intended to ferry the aircraft to a maintenance workshop but decided to perform a short flight to empty the remaining chemical product from the spray tanks.
After two successful passes over a soybean field, the pilot attempted a 180-degree turn, a maneuver known as a "balão," to intercept the flight path. During this turn, the aircraft lost altitude and struck a tree approximately six meters tall. Following the collision with the tree, the aircraft plummeted into the ground at an 80-degree angle. The impact was severe, destroying the cockpit and causing the engine to detach from the airframe.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators established that the aircraft suffered a loss of lift during the critical phase of the turn. Evidence suggests the engine may have failed due to a lack of fuel, occurring while the aircraft was at a low altitude and high bank angle. The investigation noted that the aircraft's maintenance records were out of date, with inspections having expired since May 2006. Furthermore, the aircraft had reportedly been stationary for much of the previous year, and the lack of updated documentation made it impossible to verify its true flight history.
Findings
- The pilot sustained fatal injuries.
- The aircraft sustained severe damage, rendering it a total loss.
- Expired maintenance inspections contributed to the unsafe condition of the aircraft.
- The pilot's decision-making was influenced by a lack of proper risk assessment regarding the maneuver and the aircraft's technical status.
- Inadequate managerial oversight allowed the aircraft to operate with overdue maintenance.
- The engine failure likely occurred during a high-risk phase of the maneuver at low altitude.