What happened
On March 9, 2016, an Embraer EMB-721C aircraft, registration PT-EOO, was involved in a serious incident in Conquista do Oeste, Mato Grosso. Following an anonymous tip, military police located the aircraft in a soybean plantation at Fazenda São Paulo.
According to reports, the crew had performed refueling operations before attempting to take off from an uncertified dirt road. During the takeoff attempt, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, causing it to veer into the plantation where the left wing struck the ground. While the co-pilot remained at the scene and was subsequently detained by police, the pilot fled the area and remains unidentified.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the wreckage and discovered that the aircraft had been modified with an improvised in-flight refueling system. This setup included fuel pumps adapted into plastic boxes, fuel hoses connected to the aircraft's fuel lines, and electrical outlets protruding from the lower part of the instrument panel.
Upon searching the cabin, authorities found 442.20kg of narcotics. The investigation also revealed that the co-pilot was operating with an expired medical certificate and several expired pilot licenses. Due to the presence of intentional illegal acts (narcotics trafficking) and the fact that the incident stemmed from a violation of aviation regulations, the investigation was officially interrupted as the primary cause was linked to criminal activity rather than technical or operational safety failures that could be addressed through standard safety recommendations.