What happened
On March 28, 2015, an Embraer EMB-202A, registration PT-VYR, was performing agricultural spraying operations near Caiapônia, Goiás. The aircraft, operated by Fort Aviação Agrícola, had departed from a landing strip at Fazenda Cachoeleirinha to spray pesticides over Fazenda Monte Alegre.
During a spraying maneuver, the engine experienced a sudden failure. The pilot, hearing the stall warning, immediately lowered the aircraft's nose and jettisoned the chemical load from the hopper to reduce weight. The pilot attempted to restart the engine by switching the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Due to the low altitude, the pilot performed a forced landing in a wooded area. The pilot survived the impact without injuries, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance logs and found no records of abnormalities that would affect airworthiness. The aircraft was within weight and balance limits, and the pilot held valid medical and technical certifications.
Physical inspections of the wreckage revealed that the right wing tank contained approximately 150 liters of fuel. While the pilot reported having 250 liters of fuel remaining at the time of the accident, the left wing tank could not be verified due to structural damage to that wing. Laboratory tests conducted by the DCTA (Department of Aerospace Science and Technology) on fuel samples from the filter and the right tank confirmed that the fuel met all required standards.
Engine testing conducted on a test bench showed normal operation, with no discrepancies in rotation or fuel flow parameters. Furthermore, an inspection of the entire fuel system revealed no malfunctions. Investigators were unable to determine the exact cause of the engine failure through mechanical or chemical analysis.