What happened
On March 9, 2019, at approximately 19:40 UTC, an Embraer EMB 202A, registration PT-VYY, was performing agricultural spraying operations near Fazenda Nova, in the municipality of Vila Nova dos Martírios, Mato Grosso. The aircraft had departed from a local landing strip to apply pesticides.
After approximately twenty minutes of flight, while performing a right-hand turn during a repositioning maneuver, the aircraft struck low-voltage power lines. The impact caused the aircraft to lose altitude and subsequently crash into the ground near a dirt road and a fence. The pilot was the sole occupant and escaped the wreckage without injury, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the pilot was fully qualified, holding valid commercial licenses and agricultural ratings, with significant flight experience in the aircraft type. The aircraft was airworthy, within weight and balance limits, and had undergone its last inspection 42 hours prior to the accident.
The investigation revealed that the pilot was performing his first spraying application in this specific area. On the day of the accident, the pilot had received a map via mobile phone containing limited details regarding the new application area. There was no evidence that a prior visual reconnaissance of the area had been conducted. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the power lines were difficult to detect due to their low thickness, low contrast with the environment, and the fact that the utility poles were partially obscured by tree canopies.
Findings
- Lack of thorough flight planning and the absence of a prior area reconnaissance mission.
- Inadequate situational awareness regarding external obstacles due to the low-altitude nature of agricultural operations.
- Difficulty in obstacle detection caused by the low-visibility nature of the low-voltage wires and the positioning of poles behind vegetation.
- Deficiencies in managerial supervision and organizational processes to strengthen the pilot's situational awareness regarding operational risks.