What happened
On April 11, 2012, an Embraer EMB-202, registration PT-UNW, was engaged in an agricultural spraying operation near Fazenda Água Quente, in Sapezal, Mato Grosso. During the initial phase of the flight, the aircraft's engine experienced a loss of power. In response to the engine failure, the pilot executed an emergency landing within a plantation area.
The aircraft sustained light damage during the landing, but the pilot remained uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation into the incident faced significant challenges due to the delay in reporting. The occurrence was not reported to the authorities until October 19, 2012, more than six months after the event. By the time the notification was received, the operator had already disassembled the engine for inspection.
According to reports, the pilot noted an excessive oil leak from the engine prior to the power loss. However, because the engine was opened and inspected by the operator without authorization from the investigating authority and without oversight from the investigation commission, the physical evidence was compromised. This prevented the performance of technical laboratory analyses on the engine components.
Due to the lack of preserved evidence and the time elapsed, investigators were unable to verify several critical safety elements, including the validity of the pilot's medical certificate and licenses, the aircraft's airworthiness certificate, the weight and balance status, or the maintenance logs for the airframe, engine, and propeller. Furthermore, the meteorological conditions at the time of the flight could not be confirmed.