What happened
On January 15, 2016, an Embraer EMB-202A, registration PT-AOU, operated by Vale do Paranapanema Aviação Agrícola Ltda., was performing an agricultural spraying mission near Assis, São Paulo. The aircraft departed from a landing strip at Fazenda Boa Sorte to apply pesticides. During the third pass of the application process, the aircraft experienced a loss of engine power, forcing the pilot to perform an emergency landing in a nearby sugarcane plantation. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but the pilot emerged uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot was fully qualified, holding valid commercial licenses and a medical certificate. The aircraft was airworthy, with all maintenance logs up to date, and was operating within its proper weight and balance limits. Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were favorable for flight.
Investigators determined that the flight planning occurred immediately prior to takeoff during the refueling process. While the aircraft was being refueled with 6 and 0 liters of fuel into the left wing tank, the pilot was simultaneously reviewing spraying maps with a mill employee. During this conversation, the pilot became preoccupied with the presence of high-voltage power lines in the first target area. Consequently, the pilot failed to switch the fuel selector valve from the right tank to the left tank. As the fuel in the right tank was depleted, the engine lost power.
Findings
- The pilot failed to switch the fuel selector valve to the tank containing the newly added fuel.
- Inadequate flight planning, as the mission details were being finalized during refueling rather than beforehand.
- Distraction and loss of attention caused by the simultaneous management of refueling and mission planning.
- The pilot's preoccupation with navigating around high-voltage power lines contributed to the oversight.