What happened
On July 26, 2022, at 20:02 UTC, a Neiva EMB-201, registration PT-GGQ, was performing an agricultural spraying mission near Fazenda Yara, in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. The aircraft, operated by Figueiredo Aviação Agrícola Eireli, had taken off from a local airstrip to apply pesticides in a eucalyptus plantation.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot noticed the aircraft lacked sufficient power to climb during a right-hand turn. In an attempt to manage the situation, the pilot executed a left-hand turn to locate a suitable landing site. During the maneuver, the pilot attempted to jettison the load from the hopper, but the mechanism failed to operate. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground in an open field, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the engine, fuel, and oil samples. The fuel and oil were found to meet all technical specifications. The engine, a Lycoming IO-540-K1J5D, was inspected by a certified maintenance organization. While the engine showed no significant external damage from the impact, internal inspections of cylinder number 1 revealed critical issues.
Investigators found metal shavings in the combustion chamber and significant damage to the intake valve seat. Furthermore, cracks were identified extending from the spark plug housing toward the valve seat area. The investigation also noted that while maintenance logs for the airframe and engine were up to date, the monthly usage records were not current. The investigation considered the possibility that the engine's use of ethanol might have introduced thermal stresses different from the original design specifications.