Agricultural aircraft loses control on landing at Fazenda Serrana aerodrome (PPLUI)

Occurrence overview On 19 November 2024 at 19:45 UTC, a Thrush Aircraft S2R-H80, registration PP-LUI, was involved in an accident at Aeródromo Fazenda Serrana (SSSR), São Desidério, Bahia, Brazil. The aircraft was operating a private agricultural flight to check its crop-spraying system. During the landing roll on runway 07, the pilot lost control, the aircraft crossed the right lateral edge of the runway, struck a wire fence, and came to a stop. The pilot was unharmed, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. ## Flight and aircraft details The aircraft took off from SSSR at about 19:25 UTC with one pilot aboard. It was a 20-minute flight under RBAC 137 agricultural operations requirements, during which 600 litres of water were successfully released over the farm’s cultivation area. The aircraft was manufactured in 2018, serial number H80-226, and was registered in the private air services category (TPP). Its airworthiness certificate was valid, and its airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks were current. The aircraft was within weight and balance limits. ## Pilot qualifications and recent experience The pilot held a valid commercial pilot licence (airplane) with single-engine land and agricultural pilot ratings, and a valid medical certificate. Records showed 2,873 hours 32 minutes total flight time, including 654 hours 16 minutes in the S2R-H80. However, the pilot had not acted as pilot in command within the preceding 90 days, as required by RBAC 61.21 for recent experience. The investigation therefore found the pilot was not qualified to operate the aircraft for that flight. ## Contributing factors The runway at SSSR was unpaved, 1,300 m by 20 m, with runway 07/25. A windsock was installed near runway 25, making it difficult to see when landing on runway 07. The pilot reported that wind direction and strength were continuously changing. Marks on the runway indicated the aircraft drifted right about 600 m from the threshold, travelled roughly 100 m beyond the runway edge, struck the fence, and stopped after another 60 m. The investigation considered that an unexpected left crosswind may have contributed to the loss of control, and that brake application may not have been sufficient to restore the aircraft’s path. The pilot’s decision to use runway 07 to avoid overflying a nearby road, without adequately assessing wind conditions, was also noted. ## Safety action A message was sent to the Fazenda Serrana administration recommending that the windsock be relocated so it can be properly seen during operations on both runway 07 and runway 25.