What happened
On March 1, 2011, at approximately 13:00 UTC, an Embraer EMB-202 aircraft, registration PT-UXX, was performing agricultural spraying operations at Fazenda Tabuleiro in Correntina, Bahia. The aircraft was conducting its sixth takeoff of the day, having been refueled with 100 liters of ethanol and 750 liters of agricultural pesticide.
As the aircraft departed from runway 09 and crossed the opposite threshold, it lost lift and returned abruptly to the ground. The impact occurred approximately 125 meters beyond the end of runway 27, resulting in the partial detachment of the spraying equipment. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, though the pilot escaped without injury.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators determined that the aircraft was operating at 1,981 kg, which was 181 kg above its Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW). While the aircraft's engine and instruments were functioning normally, the investigation revealed that the pilot could not demonstrate proper flight planning or performance calculations.
Analysis of the takeoff performance indicated that for a 1,800 kg load at the ambient temperature of 25°C, a runway of 1,100 meters would be required. The 1,200-meter runway used was insufficient for the actual weight of the aircraft. Furthermore, the investigation found that the weight of the pesticide alone (750 kg), when added to the basic empty weight, could exceed the MTOW even without considering the pilot or fuel.
Investigators also identified a lack of oversight regarding ground operations. The ground crews, responsible for refueling and loading, performed tasks without adequate supervision from the pilot. There was no systematic control, such as weight and balance spreadsheets, and the specific gravity of the fluids being loaded was unknown to both the crew and the operator.
Findings
- Overweight operation: The aircraft was operating significantly above its maximum takeoff weight.
- Inadequate flight planning: The pilot failed to perform accurate weight and balance calculations.
- Lack of ground supervision: Ground crews loaded fuel and chemicals without proper monitoring or documentation by the pilot.
- Management and oversight failures: There was a lack of systematic control over loading processes and a lack of managerial supervision regarding flight planning.
- Operational risks: The use of large chemical tanks (750 kg capacity) inherently risks exceeding the MTOW if not strictly managed.