What happened
On January 8, 2004, an EMB-201A agricultural aircraft, registration PT-GYG, was conducting a reconnaissance flight near Cascavel, Paraná. The flight was intended to survey a field for upcoming pesticide spraying and to allow the pilot to familiarize himself with a new DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) unit.
While flying at a low altitude, the aircraft's main landing gear struck the ground wire of a high-voltage transmission line. The impact caused the aircraft to enter an inverted, nose-down attitude, rotating around its longitudinal axis before striking the ground on its back. The pilot sustained fatal injuries at the scene, and the aircraft suffered severe damage to the engine, propeller, fuselage, and landing gear.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the circumstances leading to the collision with the obstacle. Investigators examined the pilot's recent flight experience, noting that while highly experienced in agricultural aviation, the pilot had flown only 2 hours and 15 minutes in the 90 days prior to the accident.
The investigation also reviewed the operational environment, finding that the pilot had not performed a ground reconnaissance of the area nor utilized aeronautical charts or grid maps to identify obstacles. Furthermore, the investigation looked into the visibility of the wires, noting that while the pilot had color vision deficiencies, the primary issue was the small diameter of the ground wire and the lack of orange marker spheres, which, although not mandatory under the regulations at the time, would have aided visibility.
Findings
- Inadequate flight planning: The pilot did not use grid maps or aeronautical charts to identify natural or artificial obstacles in the area.
- Lack of ground reconnaissance: No ground-based survey of the maneuver area was conducted to identify the best flight paths or obstacle locations.
- Inattention: The pilot may have experienced a loss of situational awareness while attempting to adjust or read the new DGPS equipment inside the cockpit.
- Lack of managerial oversight: The operator did not have a formal training program for pilot adaptation to new aircraft or equipment.
- Absence of obstacle marking: The ground wire lacked visibility aids, such as marker spheres, which contributed to the difficulty in detecting the line.