What happened
On February 10, 2002, an Air Tractor AT-402A, registration PR-MPC, was performing agricultural spraying operations over a soybean field at Fazenda Leonardo in Itiquira, Mato Grosso. Following a standard reversal maneuver (known as a "balão"), the aircraft deviated from its intended flight path and struck the ground in a nearby cotton plantation, approximately 1 km from the point of reversal.
The aircraft, which was configured with flaps extended, initially struck the ground with its left wingtip. The impact caused the aircraft to slide 108 meters across the field, during which the propeller assembly and left landing gear were torn away. The impact triggered a massive fire that completely consumed the engine, nacelle, and left wing, rendering the aircraft a total loss. The pilot sustained multiple fractures to the arms and legs but died of thermal injuries inside the cockpit.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft's recent history and maintenance records. The AT-402A was a relatively new aircraft, having flown only 76 hours and 50 minutes total, with only 26 hours of experience in this specific model. The investigation noted that the aircraft had recently been imported from the United States and had undergone maintenance to reconfigure the chemical hopper, which had previously served as an extra fuel tank during its ferry flight.
Investigators explored two primary hypotheses for the loss of control. The first suggested that a strong smell of fuel gases in the cockpit, which the pilot had previously reported, may have caused spatial disorientation or physiological impairment. The second hypothesis posited that a fuel leak, combined with high ambient temperatures, may have caused an in-flight fire, forcing the pilot to attempt an immediate emergency landing. Evidence showed no significant power loss prior to impact, and the pilot had even attempted to jettison the emergency window during the slide.
Findings
- Deficient Supervision: The operator failed to implement adequate oversight, allowing flight operations to continue despite the pilot's repeated reports of a strong fuel odor in the cockpit.
- Psychological Factors: The pilot may have been influenced by anxiety, high motivation to return to work, and the pressure to maintain productivity with the new, more powerful equipment.
- Potential Maintenance Issues: While undetermined, the investigation noted that the reported fuel odor was linked to recent work on the hopper connections, and no formal corrective maintenance was performed to address the smell.
- Spatial Disorientation: The presence of fuel vapors in the cabin was identified as a potential cause of physiological impairment or disorientation.