What happened
On April 14, 1999, a King Air operated by Jet Sul Táxi Aéreo Ltda. was performing the final leg of a multi-leg mission from Foz do Iguaçu to Curitiba. The flight, which had already included stops in Paraguay, was operating under night conditions. Approximately 55 minutes into the flight, the right engine failed, followed shortly by the failure of the left engine.
Unable to maintain altitude on a single engine, the pilot attempted to reach Curitiba but eventually decided to divert to the inactive airfield in Irati, Paraná. During the emergency, the pilot directed the co-pilot to move to the rear seat of the aircraft. The aircraft eventually performed a forced landing in a wooded, irregular field. The impact caused extensive damage to the King Air, rendering it a total loss. The pilot sustained minor injuries, while the co-pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the sequence of engine failures and the operational conditions of the crew. Technical analysis of the engines and propellers by the IFI/CTA concluded that the engines stopped due to fuel exhaustion. The investigation also examined the crew's flight logs, maintenance records, and the company's operational oversight.
Investigators found that the aircraft's fuel gauges were unreliable, making it difficult to monitor remaining quantities. Furthermore, the investigation revealed significant discrepancies in the flight planning, including an incorrect estimation of the flight time required for the final leg and a lack of proper fuel reserves. The crew's fatigue levels were also scrutinized, as the pilot had only three hours of sleep prior to the flight and had consumed alcohol the previous night.