What happened
On May 22, 2011, an EMB-810D, registration PT-VQF, was performing a flight from Lins, SP, to Goiânia, GO. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and four passengers. During the descent toward the Nacional de Aviação aerodrome in Goiânia, both engines failed simultaneously.
Faced with the loss of power, the pilot opted not to attempt an engine restart and instead executed a forced landing in a flat area approximately five miles from the destination. During the landing sequence, the aircraft struck wooden fences, causing significant damage to the left wing and minor damage to the fuselage and the right wing's leading edge. Despite the impact, all five occupants (the pilot and four passengers) escaped the accident uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators determined that the primary cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion. Post-accident inspections revealed that both fuel tanks were completely empty and the fuel system lines were dry. While the engines functioned normally once the aircraft was refueled, the investigation highlighted critical discrepancies in flight monitoring.
The investigation found that the aircraft's two fuel quantity indicators (liquidometers) were providing unreliable readings. Furthermore, the aircraft lacked an external dipstick or similar mechanism for verifying fuel levels during pre-flight inspections. The pilot had also failed to monitor fuel consumption via the fuel flow meter, which is essential given that fuel consumption rates can vary based on power settings. Additionally, the pilot's flight logs for the preceding legs were not recorded, making it difficult to verify the total flight time and the accuracy of the calculated remaining endurance.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating with unreliable fuel quantity indicators, which violated both the manufacturer's MMEL and Brazilian aviation regulations (RBHA 91).
- The pilot failed to properly assess the aircraft's condition by proceeding with the flight despite the unreliable instrumentation.
- There was a lack of active fuel monitoring via the fuel flow meter during the flight.
- The pilot's flight planning was compromised by a failure to precisely determine the remaining fuel quantity after the first leg of the journey, leading to an inadequate calculation of the aircraft's endurance.