What happened
On January 30, 2004, an EMB 200 operated by Aviação Agrícola Butarello Ltda. was performing a ferry flight from Fazenda Jeripoca to Capinópolis, Minas Gerais. The aircraft took off from an unpaved, temporary farm strip measuring 600 by 18 meters. During the takeoff roll, the pilot encountered difficulty gaining altitude. As the aircraft reached the end of the runway, the landing gear struck a 1.5-meter-high fence. Following this collision, the aircraft lost directional control, veered to the left, and struck the ground approximately 250 meters from the runway head, where it came to a stop after a ground loop. The pilot sustained minor injuries, while the aircraft suffered severe damage to the engine, propeller, fuselage, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and various systems.
The investigation
The CENIPA investigation examined the aircraft's performance, the pilot's experience, and the environmental conditions. The investigation found that the aircraft was operating with a weight of approximately 1,295.4 kg. Although the pilot was a licensed commercial pilot, they had only 15 hours of experience in this specific aircraft type. The investigation also noted that the pilot had decided to load the hopper with 200 liters of water to test the aircraft's behavior under load. The runway surface, composed of dirt, was wet due to rainfall the previous night. Investigators analyzed the takeoff performance, noting that the required distance to clear a 1.5-meter obstacle under these specific conditions was approximately 585 meters, leaving a very narrow safety margin within the 600-meter available runway.
Findings
- The pilot's decision to load the hopper with water without considering the impact on takeoff performance and the limited runway length.
- Inadequate flight planning that failed to account for the increased weight and the reduced safety margin caused by the wet runway.
- Lack of adequate supervision, as the pilot had been permitted to perform ferry flights to gain experience without sufficient oversight of their operational decisions.
- The pilot's limited experience in the EMB 200 influenced the errors in judgment and aircraft control.
- Potential improper use of flight controls, such as the possible inadvertent retraction of flaps or insufficient rudder application following the fence strike.