What happened
On May 31, 2011, at approximately 20:30 UTC, an Embraer EMB-820C, registration PT-RAT, was performing a passenger transport flight from Belém to Monte Dourado, Pará. The aircraft was carrying one pilot and eight passengers. While cruising at 6,000 feet, approximately 42 nautical miles from the departure airport, the pilot heard an abnormal noise followed by a sudden loss of power in the left engine.
As the aircraft began to lose altitude and airspeed rapidly, the pilot attempted to return to the departure airfield. However, unable to maintain the necessary parameters, the pilot performed an emergency landing in an open field near Ponta de . Despite the emergency, the aircraft landed with the landing gear and flaps extended. All 9 occupants emerged uninjured, and the aircraft sustained no damage.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation revealed several critical regulatory and operational failures. The pilot was operating under IFR flight rules but did not meet the minimum requirement of 100 hours as pilot-in-command for this specific aircraft model, as required by Brazilian civil aviation regulations (RBAC 135). Furthermore, the pilot failed to declare an emergency to Belém Approach (APP-BE), which compromised air traffic coordination and delayed potential search and rescue efforts.
Regarding the mechanical failure, investigators found that the aircraft was not in an airworthy condition due to maintenance deficiencies. Although secondary records suggested compliance with Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2008-14-07, primary records were missing. Physical inspection showed that the fuel distributor lines lacked the required support clamps, which are essential to prevent vibration-induced fatigue. This lack of support led to the fracture of a fuel injector line for cylinder number 3, causing a fuel leak and subsequent power loss.
Additionally, the pilot did not execute the prescribed emergency procedures for an engine failure, specifically failing to feather the propeller of the inoperative engine. This decision increased aerodynamic drag and contributed to the rapid degradation of flight performance.
Findings
- Inadequate maintenance of the aircraft, specifically the failure to install fuel line clamps and the presence of fractured fuel lines.
- Pilot judgment errors, including the failure to declare an emergency and the failure to feather the propeller.
- Management oversight regarding maintenance supervision and pilot qualification requirements.