What happened
On October 14, 2013, at approximately 20:10 UTC, an EMB-202 aircraft, registration PT-UIU, was performing a specialized agricultural spraying service near Promissão, São Paulo. The aircraft had departed from the Usina Ruette runway to service a plantation near Sítio Nova Esperança. Approximately ten minutes into the flight, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power. In response to the power loss, the pilot executed an emergency landing in a nearby pasture area.
The impact caused the main landing gear to break and resulted in substantial damage to the propeller, engine cowling, and wings. The pilot was uninjured during the occurrence.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft and its maintenance history, uncovering several critical irregularities. The investigation established that the engine was fueled with ethanol instead of the AvGas 100-100LL specified by the manufacturer for that particular engine serial number. Additionally, investigators found that the throttle control cable had snapped.
Regarding the aircraft's airworthiness, the investigation revealed that the Annual Maintenance Inspection (IAM) had been expired since December 2005. Furthermore, the aircraft's Certificate of Airworthiness (CA) had been canceled at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The engine power loss was linked to the use of improper fuel (ethanol instead of AvGas 100-100LL).
- The throttle control cable was found to be broken.
- The aircraft was operating with an expired annual maintenance inspection and a canceled certificate of airworthiness.
- Flight indiscipline and failures in managerial supervision were identified as contributing factors.