Incident Overview
On February 3, 2022, at approximately 13:30 UTC, a Cessna A188B with registration PR-THT experienced an accident while taking off from an agricultural landing area at Fazenda Rabelo in São Simão, Goiás, Brazil. The aircraft was operated by Textor Aviação Agrícola Ltda. for crop application purposes. Shortly after leaving the ground, the plane lost lift and collided with a planting area, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. The sole occupant, the pilot, exited the wreckage uninjured.
Aircraft and Operational Context
The aircraft was a single-engine, low-wing monoplane manufactured by Cessna Aircraft in 1976 (serial number 18802797T). It was powered by a Continental IO-520-D engine. At the time of the accident, the aircraft held a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and was within its weight and balance limits. The pilot held a Commercial Pilot License with valid agricultural endorsements and approximately 1,470 hours of flight experience. Meteorological conditions were favorable, with calm winds and temperatures around 27°C.
Technical Findings
Investigations into the engine revealed no signs of abrupt mechanical failure prior to the event. However, bench tests identified an ignition delay during magneto advance verification, which can lead to delayed combustion and reduced efficiency. Additionally, significant carbon buildup was found on the valve seats, particularly on the exhaust valves. This accumulation prevented the valves from seating perfectly, causing a loss of cylinder compression and further reducing engine power output.
Conclusion
The investigation concluded that while no catastrophic failure occurred, the engine likely delivered less power than required for takeoff under the specific conditions due to the identified ignition and valve issues. The contributing factor was listed as aircraft maintenance, though the specific cause remained undetermined.