What happened
On May 26, 2010, an EMB-201A aircraft, registration PT-GUF, was performing agricultural spraying operations at Fazenda Panorama in Correntina, Bahia. The aircraft departed at 13:40 UTC to apply pesticides over the crops. After 20 minutes had passed without the aircraft returning to refuel, a pilot from another aircraft operating in the same area took off to locate the missing plane and immediately discovered the wreckage.
The aircraft struck the ground approximately 170 meters beyond the designated application area. The initial impact involved the left wingtip, followed by the nose and the left horizontal stabilizer. The impact caused fatal injuries to the pilot and resulted in the aircraft being a total loss.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on several potential contributing factors. Investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance records, noting that while the airworthiness certificate was valid, the logs for the cell, engine, and propeller were outdated. The investigation also looked into the pilot's medical history, noting conditions such as hypertension and hyperglycemia, though these were not considered direct causes.
Investigators also explored the possibility of pesticide intoxication, as the autopsy showed no evidence of facial injuries that would indicate the pilot was wearing a protective mask during the operation. Furthermore, the investigation looked into the possibility of engine power loss due to potential fuel exhaustion or mechanical issues, as no AVGAS could be recovered from the fuel lines during the initial inspection of the wreckage.