What happened
On February 12, 2021, a PA-36-375 aircraft, registration PR-PPJ, was performing an agricultural fertilizer application flight over a farm in Conceição das Alagoas, Minas Gerais. During a reversal turn, the pilot experienced intense vibrations followed by a loud bang from the engine, which led to a complete loss of engine power.
In response to the emergency, the pilot jettisoned the fertilizer load. While attempting to manage the descent, the left wingtip struck a tree, forcing the pilot to execute an emergency landing in a nearby sugarcane plantation. The impact caused the aircraft to rotate 180 degrees from its original path, resulting in the fuselage breaking apart and the empennage shifting. The pilot sustained no injuries, though the aircraft suffered substantial structural damage.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the wreckage and the powerplant, which had been previously converted to operate on ethanol. The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the engine following the reported vibrations and bang. Technical analysis of the engine components revealed that the cylinder number 4 had detached from its base on the engine block.
Further examination of the engine teardown showed that the connecting rod had been compressed against the camshaft and engine block. Investigators also reviewed the pilot's experience, the aircraft's maintenance logs, and the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident, finding that the weather was well within operational minimums and the pilot was highly experienced in agricultural operations.