What happened
On June 21, 2017, at approximately 21:00 UTC, an Air Tractor AT-502B, registration PT-FAL, departed from the Murará Farm Aerodrome in Bonfim, Roraima, to perform a urea application mission. Significant meteorological formations were present near the runway, and the pilot had previously delayed takeoff by 15 minutes to wait for these clouds to move south.
After departing from runway 12, the pilot executed a right turn toward the application area. During this maneuver, the aircraft encountered a sudden wind gust originating from a convective cell located approximately 300 meters behind the flight path. This tailwind caused a sudden reduction in airspeed and aerodynamic lift, leading to a loss of altitude. Facing an approaching low-voltage power line at an altitude of approximately 10 meters, the pilot attempted to fly underneath the wires. During this maneuver, the right wing struck a wooden utility pole, causing the right flap to separate from the aircraft. The impact induced a yawing motion, forcing the aircraft to land hard and break the right main landing gear. The aircraft subsequently slid into a ditch about 100 meters ahead, spun 90 degrees, and came to rest against a wire fence. The pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
The investigation by SERIPA VII examined the meteorological conditions, the pilot's decision-making process, and the aircraft's performance during the encounter with the wind gust. Investigators analyzed the proximity of the convective weather to the airfield and the impact of the tailwind on the aircraft's low-speed agricultural flight profile. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's flight path and the spatial considerations regarding the aircraft's wingspan relative to the power line obstacles.