What happened
On January 22, 2019, a Neiva EMB-201, registration PT-GNJ, departed from Aeródromo Fazenda São Gabriel in Balsas, Maranhão, destined for Grajaú, Maranhão. During the flight, the pilot encountered deteriorating meteorological conditions near the destination. Consequently, the pilot decided to divert to an unregistered landing strip in Sít/io Novo, Maranhão.
During the landing attempt at the unregistered site, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft veered to the left side of the runway and collided with the wall of a residence. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, though the pilot remained uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation by SERIPA I revealed several critical maintenance and regulatory discrepancies. Although the aircraft's airworthiness certificate was valid in the ANAC records, the annual maintenance inspection (IAM) had expired on January 3, 2019, rendering the aircraft unairworthy. Furthermore, the pilot was operating with an expired single-engine land airplane (MNTE) rating, which had been lapsed since March 2018.
A significant finding involved the use of improper fuel. The aircraft was found with 120 liters of ethanol remaining in the tanks, having departed with 220 liters. According to the aircraft's specifications, only Avgas should be used, and no Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) was presented to authorize the use of ethanol. Additionally, the pilot was not carrying any aircraft documentation on board.
The landing strip used was unregistered and had not been utilized since October 2018, meaning it did not meet the minimum requirements for aircraft operations. The investigation also noted that the pilot had limited experience with this specific aircraft model.