What happened
On March 7, 2018, an Embraer EMB-202A, registration PT-UZP, was performing a repositioning flight from Fazenda Busato II to Fazenda Warpol in Bahia, Brazil. Approximately one hour and ten minutes into the flight, the engine suddenly failed while the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of approximately 300 feet above the ground.
The pilot attempted to execute the in-flight engine restart procedures as outlined in the operating manual but was unsuccessful due to the low altitude. Consequently, the pilot performed a forced landing in a soybean plantation at Fazenda Paraíso V. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and while the pilot escaped with minor injuries, the plantation was also damaged.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators determined that the engine failure was caused by a sudden interruption of the fuel supply. Testing of the auxiliary electric fuel pump at the crash site showed it was functioning normally. However, technical analysis of the mechanical fuel pump performed by the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) revealed that the pump's shaft had suffered a fatigue fracture.
The investigation also examined the pilot's operational decisions. It was noted that the pilot was flying below the minimum VFR altitude requirements prescribed by ICA 100-12. Furthermore, the pilot was only wearing the lap belt and had not utilized the shoulder harness, which contributed to the injuries sustained during the impact. The investigation also identified a manufacturing deficiency in the fuel pump shaft produced by Embraer, which was not suitable for the stresses of ethanol-powered engines.