What happened
On January 7, 2007, an EMB 202 aircraft, registration PT-UKG, was performing agricultural spraying operations over an orange grove at Fazenda Sete Lagoas in Mogi-Guaçu, Brazil. The aircraft had departed from the farm's runway earlier that morning to execute a series of chemical applications.
During the final pass of the operation, the pilot initiated a recovery maneuver following the release of the product. During this maneuver, the right wing of the aircraft struck an isolated coconut tree. The impact caused the pilot to lose control, leading the aircraft to strike the ground violently approximately 100 meters ahead of the collision point. The pilot sustained minor injuries, but the aircraft suffered heavy damage.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation examined the operational procedures, the pilot's flight planning, and the company's safety management systems. The investigation found that the pilot had conducted a reconnaissance flight three days prior to the accident. While the pilot was aware of some obstacles, such as a line of eucalyptus trees and some coconut trees, a specific 19-meter-tall coconut tree with a 15-meter canopy was not identified during the recovery phase.
The investigation also reviewed the organizational structure of the operator, noting that the company's Flight Accident Prevention Program (PPAA) was a pro forma document rather than a functional tool tailored for agricultural operations. Furthermore, there was no standardized risk assessment process for evaluating the specific areas to be worked.
Findings
- The pilot's assessment of the area as "easy" may have led to a natural relaxation regarding potential risks, preventing the timely detection of the obstacle.
- The flight planning and reconnaissance likely failed to account for the actual height of all isolated obstacles near the application axes.
- The agricultural engineer responsible for the application project may not have clearly communicated the difficulties regarding the visibility of isolated trees to the pilot.
- The operator lacked standardized written procedures for risk management and did not have a dedicated flight safety professional (EC-PREV or ASV) active in the company.
Safety action
CENIPA issued recommendations to the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) to work with the operator to improve the standardization of its operational routines and to disseminate the findings of this report to the agricultural aviation industry, emphasizing the importance of thorough area reconnaissance and flight planning.