What happened
On April 19, 2023, at 19:25 UTC, an Embraer EMB-202A aircraft, registration PT-WXK, was performing an agricultural spraying operation at Fazenda Lagoa Azul in Buritis, Minas Gerais. The aircraft was departing from a dirt landing strip to spray a cornfield with pesticides.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot noted that the aircraft required more distance to reach rotation speed than usual. Upon liftoff, a gust of wind destabilized the aircraft, causing it to sink. In an attempt to gain altitude, the pilot jettisoned the agricultural product when approximately 60 meters remained before the end of the runway. Despite this action, the aircraft failed to clear an earthen mound located at the far end of the runway. The aircraft's spray boom struck the mound and subsequently hit the corn plantation, causing the aircraft to strike the ground and slide 107 meters through the crops before coming to a complete stop. The pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the takeoff configuration and performance calculations. The investigation established that the pilot was properly licensed and the aircraft was airworthy and within weight and balance limits. However, the investigation found that the pilot did not follow the procedures outlined in the aircraft's flight manual. Specifically, the pilot initiated the takeoff with flaps retracted and later moved them to a 20° position, whereas the manual prescribed an 8° setting for takeoff. This deviation increased drag and degraded performance.
Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the takeoff distance required for the aircraft's weight and the environmental conditions (28°C temperature and 3,160 ft altitude) was approximately 1,240 meters. The available runway length was only 850 meters, making the operation inherently unsafe. The pilot admitted to performing weight and balance calculations mentally rather than using the official tables and graphs provided in the flight manual.
Findings
- The pilot failed to adhere to the prescribed flap configuration (8°) specified in the flight manual, which increased drag and hindered climb performance.
- Inadequate takeoff distance calculations led to an attempt to operate on a runway significantly shorter than the required 1,240 meters.
- The pilot relied on mental estimations for weight and balance instead of using the manufacturer's provided performance charts.
- The presence of an earthen mound at the runway threshold acted as a critical obstacle that the aircraft could not clear due to insufficient performance.