Accident Overview
On November 16, 2022, at 16:20 UTC, a Neiva EMB-201A, registration PT-UFY, operated by Chuí Aviação Agrícola Ltda.-ME, was involved in an accident at the Área de Pouso para Uso Aeroagrícola Patella in Santa Vitória do Palmar, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The aircraft had departed at 16:00 UTC for a local agricultural spraying flight with one pilot on board. After completing the application, during the landing roll, the pilot lost directional control. The airplane exited the right side of the landing area, struck a ditch, and overturned. The pilot sustained no injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a Commercial Pilot License (Aircraft) with valid single-engine land and agricultural pilot ratings. His Aeronautical Medical Certificate was current. According to digital flight log records and pilot statements, he had approximately 409 total flight hours, with about 32 hours in the preceding 90 days, of which 12 hours were on the accident aircraft model. The aircraft's Certificate of Airworthiness was valid, and it was within weight and balance limits. The last 100-hour inspection was conducted on March 23, 2022, by an authorized maintenance organization, with 4 hours flown since. The engine and propeller logbooks were not updated, but the aircraft showed no signs of mechanical failure or system malfunction during the flight.
Meteorological and Operational Conditions
Witnesses reported clear skies, a temperature of approximately 24°C, and predominantly calm wind. These conditions were above the minimum required for the flight. The landing area was a dirt strip with dimensions nominally 750 m by 35 m, but the investigation found the actual width to be about 20 m. The surface was dry, but there were no markings for boundaries or centerline. Both sides of the strip were bordered by irrigation ditches approximately 1.5 m deep and 3 m wide.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that the approach and touchdown were uneventful. During the landing roll, he perceived a tailwind and left crosswind gust that lifted the left wing. His attempts to control the yaw using rudder pedals and control column were unsuccessful, and the aircraft exited the right side of the strip, struck a ditch, and overturned. No wind measurement instruments were available at the site, so the occurrence of a gust could not be confirmed.
Investigative Findings
The investigation found no evidence of aircraft or system failure. The pilot's familiarity with the landing area was limited; it was his first operation at this location. The operator's Safety Risk Management (GRSO) documentation for the landing area did not identify hazards such as the adjacent ditches, lack of lateral escape areas, or potential crosswinds. The document also contained incorrect dimensions. These deficiencies indicated inadequate flight preparation and insufficient managerial supervision of operational planning and risk management.
The investigation concluded that the pilot's control inputs and limited experience on type and at the location may have contributed to the inability to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were identified as: control application (contributory), flight planning (indeterminate), pilot inexperience (indeterminate), support systems (indeterminate), and managerial supervision (indeterminate).