What happened
On August 16, 2006, an Embraer EMB-810C, registration PT-RAA, was performing a cargo flight from Brasília (SBBR) to São Paulo (SBGR) to transport gold bars and security personnel. Approximately 40 minutes into the flight, while cruising at FL10/100, the number one engine exhibited parameter oscillations. The pilot responded by shutting down and feathering the engine.
Following the engine shutdown, the aircraft could not maintain level flight and entered a descent at a rate of approximately 300 feet per minute. Although the crew attempted to reach Uberlândia (SBUL), the pilot determined that reaching that airport was not feasible and instead opted for an emergency landing in a plowed field near Araguari, MG. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but all four occupants—two crew members and two passengers—remained uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the aircraft's performance following the engine failure. While the crew's licenses and the aircraft's airworthiness documentation were all valid, investigators identified a critical discrepancy in the flight planning. Post-accident calculations revealed that the aircraft had departed Brasília with an excess weight of 250kg above the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 2,073kg.
At the moment the engine was shut down, the aircraft's total weight was estimated at approximately 2,278kg. This meant the aircraft was still 205kg over the maximum allowable weight for single-engine performance, which prevented the crew from maintaining level flight regardless of their emergency procedures.