What happened
On February 16, 2013, an Air Tractor AT-502B, registration PR-PAD, was performing its first takeoff of the day at the Fazenda Lagoa da Capa aerodrome in Perdizes, Minas Gerais. The aircraft was configured for agricultural spraying, carrying 1,500 liters of fungicide and 400 liters of aviation kerosene.
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft failed to maintain sufficient altitude as it crossed the opposite end of the runway. The left wing made contact with a sugarcane plantation that had encroached upon the runway's longitudinal limit, leading to a loss of control and a subsequent collision with the terrain. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the engine, propeller, wings, landing gear, and tail cone. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft unharmed.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation revealed significant discrepancies between official aeronautical records and the actual state of the aerodrome. While the ROTAER (Aeronautical Information Publication) listed the runway as 900 meters long, physical measurements at the site showed that a sugarcane plantation had reduced the available runway length to approximately 600 meters. The aerodrome operator had failed to notify ANAC of this change in runway dimensions.
Furthermore, the investigation examined the pilot's operational procedures. The pilot had experience flying the EMB-202 Ipanema but had not undergone formal training or proficiency demonstrations for the AT-502B. Because the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) was only available in English, and the pilot lacked proficiency in the language, the investigation found that the aircraft's performance limits were likely misunderstood. The pilot relied on an informal culture of "excess power" rather than performing the necessary takeoff distance calculations required for the aircraft's heavy takeoff weight.