What happened
On March 11, 2014, at approximately 18:3/0 UTC, an EMB-202 aircraft, registration PT-UIB, departed from an improvised landing strip at Fazenda Laço de Ouro in the municipality of Conceição do Araguaia, Pará. The mission involved agricultural spraying at Fazenda Ouro Branco. The aircraft was operated by a private individual, with the pilot on board.
After the aircraft failed to return to the landing strip as scheduled, a farm assistant alerted the owner regarding the disappearance. The following day, the aircraft was located in a region of dense forest. A ground team consisting of farm workers reached the site and confirmed that the pilot had sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, landing gear, and powerplant.
The investigation
The investigation conducted by SERIPA I identified several critical regulatory violations. The pilot was operating with an expired medical certificate (valid only until 2007) and expired ratings for both single-engine land and agricultural flight. Furthermore, the aircraft's airworthiness certificate had been suspended since August 2013, and its periodic inspections (IAM) were overdue.
Investigators also noted significant discrepancies regarding the aircraft's propulsion and fuel. While the engine was utilizing ethanol, there was no documentation proving the engine had been officially converted for ethanol use. Additionally, the fuel used did not comply with the standards set by the National Agency of Petroleum (ANP). Due to the high volume of existing regulatory non-compliance, the investigation was interrupted, as the findings indicated that safety could only be restored through strict adherence to existing aviation laws.
Findings
- The pilot's medical certificate and flight ratings were significantly expired.
- The aircraft's airworthiness certificate was suspended.
- The aircraft was operating with unverified engine conversion for ethanol use and non-compliant fuel.
- Maintenance logs and inspection records were outdated.