What happened
On February 15, 2025, an Air Tractor AT-502B, registration PS-XEU, was performing agricultural chemical application duties near Tuneiras do Oeste, Brazil. The aircraft took off from the Fazenda Fumagalli landing area for a local flight. Approximately twenty minutes into the operation, while the pilot was climbing to return to the landing site after the final application pass, the engine began to oscillate in power. Shortly thereafter, the engine suffered a total loss of power. To avoid high-voltage power lines, the pilot executed a forced landing in a nearby sugarcane plantation. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but the pilot escaped without injury.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft's fuel system and conducted laboratory analysis on fuel samples and debris. The investigation focused on the lines connecting the wing tanks to the header tank, the electric boost pump, and the primary fuel filter. While the operator had recently refueled several aircraft from a large 41,000-liter batch of aviation kerosene, only PS-XEU showed signs of contamination, ruling out a systemic issue with the fuel supply or distribution trucks. Investigators also noted that the aircraft had been parked overnight at the agricultural landing area without supervision or security systems.
Findings
- The engine experienced power oscillations followed by a complete loss of power due to the blockage of the fuel line by foreign material.
- Laboratory analysis confirmed that the foreign particles found in the fuel lines and filters were consistent with bovine manure.
- The pilot was fully qualified and the aircraft was operating within prescribed weight and balance limits.
- The origin of the contamination could not be definitively determined, though investigators could not rule out the possibility that the material was introduced into the tanks prior to the flight.
- The presence of the material was localized to this specific aircraft, suggesting external interference or a localized event rather than a contaminated fuel batch.