What happened
On December 9, 2020, a Cessna A188B agricultural aircraft, registration PR-REN, was performing aerial spraying operations over a rice crop in the rural area of Santana do Livramento, Rio Grande do Sul. The aircraft had departed from a local landing strip at Fazenda Colorado to conduct its mission.
During the eighth takeoff of the session, while performing a repositioning maneuver, the pilot experienced a sudden loss of engine power. The pilot attempted an emergency landing in a nearby soybean field. During the approach, the pilot adjusted the flaps to 20 degrees in an attempt to clear an existing ditch in the terrain. However, the main landing gear struck the ditch, causing the right main gear to break and detach from the aircraft. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but the pilot emerged uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation conducted by CENIPA established that the aircraft had recently been modified to operate on hydrated ethyl alcohol. This modification increased the estimated fuel consumption from approximately 75 liters per hour to roughly 100 liters per hour at maximum power.
Investigators found that the aircraft had been fueled with 190 liters of fuel in Rosário do Sul. After a 20-minute transit and subsequent flight operations, the pilot checked the tanks following the accident and found them empty. The investigation noted that the pilot had recently transitioned to this specific aircraft and was accustomed to the lower fuel consumption rates of previous models. It was inferred that the aircraft was operating with a very small fuel reserve, leading to fuel exhaustion.
Findings
- Inadequate flight planning regarding fuel requirements for the mission.
- Potential lack of managerial oversight concerning operational risk management and fuel minimums.
- The pilot's recent experience with a more fuel-efficient engine may have influenced fuel management judgment.