What happened
On January 17, 2023, at approximately 19:14 UTC, an Embraer EMB-203, registration PS-SAH, was performing an agricultural ferry flight between two landing sites in the municipality of Ibiá, Minas Gerais. The aircraft, operated by Imagem Aviação Agrícola Ltda., was landing at an unregistered agricultural landing strip located at Fazenda Engenho. During the landing phase, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, causing it to exceed the right lateral limit of the runway and collide with nearby vegetation. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but the pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the flight history, the pilot's credentials, and the aircraft's maintenance status. The pilot was a qualified commercial pilot with over 3,761 total flight hours, including 696 hours on the EMB-203, and held all necessary medical and agricultural ratings. The aircraft was well-maintained, with a valid airworthiness certificate and up-to-date maintenance logs.
Because the landing site was an unregistered agricultural strip, investigators had to manually determine its dimensions, finding it to be approximately 1,100 meters long and 20 meters wide. The investigation also analyzed meteorological data from the nearby Araxá Aerodrome (SBAX), which indicated favorable weather conditions, though the landing strip lacked any wind indicators, such as a windsock or anemometer. Analysis of tire marks on the runway revealed that the aircraft touched down approximately 330 meters after the start of runway 33, but the excursion began only 270 meters after touchdown.
Findings
- The presence of a tailwind component significantly increased the required landing distance, making the 1,100-meter runway insufficient for a safe operation.
- The pilot's decision-making process regarding runway selection and landing parameters was flawed.
- The lack of wind indicators at the landing site hindered the pilot's ability to accurately assess surface wind conditions.
- Errors in control inputs and flight judgment contributed to the loss of control during the landing roll.