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Mato Grosso registered eight agricultural aircraft crashes in 2024. In the entire year 2023, the state recorded a total of nine accidents. According to the National Union of Agricultural Aviation Companies (SINDAG), more than half of these planes belong to rural producers.
The state stands out on the national scene as one of the largest producers of grains and it has the largest fleet of agricultural aircraft in the country. In total there are 600 aircraft, which corresponds to more than 24% of the national fleet.
According to the safety manager, Henrique Barbosa, one of the causes for the increase in the number of air accidents in the state is the reduction in inspections by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), and warns of the excessive increase in flight times. flight for pilots.
“The number of flight hours has increased and with that leads to the number of accidents. Agricultural aviation has less supervision compared to airline aviation or air taxi aviation. This leads to a reduction in some specific requirements that a pilot has to fulfill,” he explains.
Agricultural flights are used to drop pesticides and fertilizers on crops. The service is chosen for the speed and precision in applying the products. Furthermore, growers prefer planes because the plants are not crushed or damaged.
In a note, ANAC stated that it carries out constant inspection to ensure the sector’s safety levels and that in cases of air accidents, the Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) carries out a detailed analysis of the causes and presents recommendations so that the incident does not happen again.
The body also highlighted that it receives the report and takes action to ensure that the recommendations are met.
