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Foto: Renato Spilimbergo Carvalho · GFDL 1.2 · Wikimedia Commons
Embraer

Embraer EMB-820C Carajá

PAT4
Light Twin TurbopropDiscontinued1984–2000
Range
745 NM · 1,380 km
MTOW
3,629 kg
Cruise
216 kt · 400 km/h
Seats
10
10 seats (pilot included)
Used price
US$ 350,000

The Embraer EMB-820C Carajá is a light twin turboprop produced between 1984 and 2000. Price: the Embraer EMB-820C Carajá is out of production and, used, the market median is around US$ 350,000. Median from Jet Tracker's price research as of 06/2026. It has a range of 745 nm, a cruise speed of 216 kt (400 km/h), 10 seats (pilot included). In Brazil there are 21 active units in the RAB-ANAC, excluding cancelled registrations. There is 1 aircraft from this family for sale today, across 1 listing on the portals Jet Tracker tracks (global market, not Brazil only).

Source: RAB-ANAC (data as of 11/10/2026) and Jet Tracker catalog (spec sheet reviewed on 10/30/2026).

Acquisition price · pre-owned market
limited data1 active listings (global)Jet Tracker curation · 7 sources · 6/4/2026
US$ 350.0KR$ 2.0M
market medianaging ≈ −3.1%/yr−55% vs Turboprop Twin Light median
Entry
US$ 320.0K
model year 1982
Best value
US$ 350.0K
model year 1986
Top of range
US$ 420.0K
model year 1988
Basis
Listings
real listings
Minimum
US$ 300.0K
R$ 1.7M
Median
US$ 350.0K
R$ 2.0M
Maximum
US$ 900.0K
R$ 5.0M
Depreciation curve by year of manufacture
CAGR +3.2%/yr·1982→1989
Market median by vintage (USD). Light-blue band = min/max range observed across real listings. Points without reliable public listings (n ≤ 1) use Bluebook/curve interpolation and are flagged as lower confidence.
4 of 5 points with reduced confidence (n ≤ 1 listing observed). The estimate for these years comes from Aircraft Bluebook / market-curve interpolation, not from direct listings.
Landed in Brazil

Index ≈ ×1.24 to ×1.51 on the aircraft value, already with ferry, ANAC nationalization, IPI and ICMS.

Through a qualified importer
US$ 372.2K – 1.2M
R$ 2.1M – 6.6M · Agreement 75/91 · IPI + ICMS ~7 to 12%
Direct import
US$ 423.5K – 1.4M
R$ 2.4M – 7.6M · IPI + full ICMS ~25 to 32%

Market estimate: value + ferry + ANAC nationalization + taxes, no legal review. II, PIS and COFINS are 0% for aircraft (NCM 88.02); IPI is 6.5% (3.25% for air taxi) until Dec 31, 2026; ~4% ICMS only through a qualified importer (Agreement 75/91).

Cost per flight hour
Operate · owned
US$ 914/h
R$ 5.1K/h · Variable/h
Fixed/yr
US$ 218.8K
Total/h @ 200 hrs/yr
US$ 2.0K/h
Charter · 🌎 World
US$ 1.0K – 1.2K/h
R$ 5.6K – 6.7K/h
Charter · 🇧🇷 Brazil
US$ 900 – 1.3K/h
R$ 5.0K – 7.2K/h

Operate = direct cost/hour (fuel + maintenance + engine); excludes fixed costs (hangar, crew, insurance). World: hourly rate published by charter operators. Brazil: charter is quoted per leg, so the hourly figure is an estimate from route quotes.

How we read this price · 7 sources · researched 6/4/2026

Median and price range for pre-owned aircraft, compiled by Jet Tracker from asking prices in listings and the price guides in the sources below, checked on 6/4/2026. 4 of 5 model years have an observed listing. The rest are estimates from the market curve between model years and are flagged in the chart.

PTAX · R$ 5.5765 / US$ · 11/10/2026

Market estimates for guidance only, not a firm quote. Confirm the value with a broker/appraiser before any transaction.

Temporal identity

First flight
—
FAA cert.
—
ANAC cert.
—
Deliveries start
—
Units produced
50

The EMB-820C Carajá is the turboprop conversion of the EMB-820 Navajo, the Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain built under license by Embraer and Neiva. From 1984 Neiva replaced the piston engines with two 550 shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 engines, and the aircraft was produced until 2000. Maximum takeoff weight of 3,629 kg, cruise of 216 kt, range of about 745 nm, ceiling of 24,000 ft, and a cabin for 1 pilot and 7 passengers (source: Wikipedia, based on the Embraer Historical Center and Flight International). As an old, out-of-production model, parts availability and maintenance history weigh heavily in the assessment. This page has the spec sheet, the estimated cost per flight hour, and the fleet registered in the country.

Detailed specs

Performance

Engines
2x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 (flat-rated 550 shp)
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW)
8,000 lb
Max speed
240 kt
Useful load
2,980 lb
Fuel
—
Fuel
—
Rate of climb
—
Service ceiling
24,000 ft
Landing distance
1,650 ft
Balanced field length (BFL)
2,100 ft
Shaft horsepower per engine
550 shp

Cabin and comfort

Lavatory
None
Cargo door
Yes
Configuration
Up to 9 passengers, utility or convertible freighter
Unpressurized
Yes
Cabin width
64 in
Stand-up cabin
No
Cabin height
54 in
Cabin length
12.7 ft
Cabin volume
3.45 m³
Differential pressurization
0 psi
Baggage capacity
111 cu ft

Avionics and engines

FMS
Not equipped as standard (GPS retrofit)
TCAS
No
Cockpit
Bendix/King analog steam gauges (original 1980s configuration)
ADS-B Out
No
Autopilot
Optional Bendix/King KAP-150
Type rating
Not required (single-engine under CHT)
Autothrottle
No
Weather radar
Optional RDR-160
Synthetic vision
No
Single-pilot certified
Yes

Operating costs

Data source
https://planephd.com/wizard/details/618/PIPER-PA-31T-620-Cheyenne-II-specifications-performance-operating-cost-valuation · https://aviacost.com/aircraft-operating-cost-calculator/piper-cheyenne-ii · https://www.globalair.com/aircraft-specifications/piper/cheyenne-ii-pa-31t-620-specifications/247 · https://propilotmag.com/maintenance-programs/ · https://www.avbuyer.com/articles/business-aviation-engines/pt6a-engine-what-s-it-worth-in-today-s-market-112271
Fuel burn
55 gal/h
Last updated
2026
Engine overhaul cost
US$ 280,000
Market price (low)
US$ 600,000
Engine overhaul interval
3,600 h
Market price (high)
US$ 1,100,000

External dimensions

Overall length
10.55 m
Wingspan
12.39 m
Height
3.96 m
Wing area
21.3 m²
Wing sweep
0°

Weights & fuel

Operating empty weight (OEW)
2,300 kg
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW)
3,629 kg
Maximum payload
1,329 kg

Minimum runway

RBAC 135.399 · no factoring (≤ 5,670 kg, assumes normal category)sea level / ISA reference

How much runway the EMB-820C Carajá needs to dispatch: the manual figure and what the charter (RBAC 135) rule requires.

Landing, manual (AFM)
503m
unfactored landing, manufacturer · source not on record
Charter (RBAC 135)
640m
no factoring · RBAC 135.399, assuming normal category; small transport-category aircraft are factored (135.397)
Takeoff or BFL, manual
640m
unfactored takeoff, manufacturer

No mandatory factoring: fits 459 of 465 Brazilian public runways.

Minimum runway

Where the EMB-820C Carajá dispatches under charter rules

Verdict per regime (private, charter dry and wet) across 465 Brazilian public runways, with the margin in meters.

See with Starter

Starter feature. Available on your Jet Tracker account.

Manufacturer-published distances at sea level, ISA and reference weight. Not corrected for altitude, temperature, wind or runway condition, takeoff included. Uses the declared LDA as a proxy for effective runway length (RBAC 135.361) and the most favourable threshold in calm air (135.385(b)(1)): on the day, wind may force the shorter threshold. Destination only: does not assess the alternate aerodrome (135.387). Not a substitute for the AFM or the operator's performance analysis. Rule: RBAC 135.385 and 135.398; private flying (RBAC 91) is not factored. Runways: declared distance (LDA) from AISWEB/DECEA (2026-09-05), checkable on each aerodrome chart; where DECEA publishes no declared distance, physical length from OurAirports is used.

Cabin

Standard configuration
1 zone8 typical seats (pilot included) · 10 max
Cabin to scale: cross-section and profile
✗ no stand-up height
1,30 m1,62 m
front cross-section · person = 1.75 m
5,32 m long
Length
5.32 m
Width
1.62 m
Height
1.3 m
Volume
3.45 m³
Baggage
—

History

Product of the 1974 Embraer-Piper license agreement

The Carajá was born within the license agreement signed between Embraer and Piper in 1974, which allowed Embraer to assemble (from kits) and later produce in São José dos Campos several Piper models for Brazil and Latin America: EMB-810 Seneca, EMB-711 Corisco, EMB-712 Tupi, EMB-720 Minuano and the EMB-820C Navajo, a version of the PA-31-350 Chieftain. In 1984 Neiva, an Embraer subsidiary, began converting EMB-820Cs with two 550 shp PT6A-27 turboprops, and the result was named Carajá. Between 1974 and 2000 Embraer and Neiva produced almost 2,500 Pipers under license.

1981Wikipedia 'Embraer' (acordo Piper 1974; lista de modelos; quase 2.500 unidades 1974-2000) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer ; Flight International, 'Caraj

End of production - 2000

2000

Neiva conversion from 1984: small production, 35 tail numbers in the RAB

The Carajá is the turboprop conversion of the EMB-820C (Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain built under license) done by Neiva, an Embraer subsidiary, starting in 1984, with two 550 shp PT6A-27 engines; deliveries began in January 1985 and in 1986 Embraer sold 28 units through a consortium in under two months. There is no published official production total: the RAB (Brazil's aircraft registry) of ANAC (Brazil's civil aviation authority) lists 35 tail numbers designated EMB-820C Carajá (18 operational, 3 suspended and 14 canceled as of 09/25/2026), well above the 16 units cited earlier on this page, but still a small program compared with the piston Navajo fleet.

Flight International, 'Caraja deliveries start', 12/01/1985, citado na Wikipedia PA-31 Navajo: 'In 1984, Embraer subsidiary company Industria Aeronautica Neiva

Brazil Fleet

48 registrations in the RAB (all statuses)

Full analysis: listing, mark reservations, charts and change log in the ANAC Monitor.

Open Analytics

Lineage

Model with no documented lineage in the manufacturer's line.

Curiosities and highlights

Limitations

Analog avionics require a complete retrofit to meet current standards

The Carajá's original 1980s configuration has an analog Bendix/King panel with no WAAS GPS, no ADS-B Out and no synthetic vision. For current IFR operation in Brazil, a complete panel retrofit is needed (Garmin GTN 750/650 + GTX 345 + optional G500 TXi) with a typical investment of USD 80,000-150,000, often making units in fair condition economically unviable.

Curiosities

Rare collector item, a legacy of the Embraer-Piper era

Because it was produced in small volume and marked the end of the line of Embraer and Neiva license-built Pipers (1974 agreement, almost 2,500 aircraft through 2000), the Carajá became a collector's item among Brazilian aviation enthusiasts. Nicknamed 'Carajato' for its performance, it still has 18 operational tail numbers and 3 suspended in the RAB (09/25/2026); its market value is sustained more by historical interest and low acquisition cost than by capability against modern turboprops.

↗ Wikipedia 'Embraer' (licenca Piper 1974-2000, ~2.500 unidades) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer ; Wikipedia PT 'Embraer EMB-821' ('Acabou apelidado de Ca

Catalogued accidents

Sources: NTSB, CENIPA, Aviation Safety Network

5/24/2015· BR· ROCHEDO
PT-ENM
Serious

Engine failure in flight

3/12/2013· BR· ALMEIRIM
PT-VAQ
Fatal · 10

Loss of control in flight

11/18/2010· BR· CAMPO GRANDE
PT-VKA
Serious

Hard landing

4/11/2007· BR· LENÇÓIS
PT-VCH
Serious

Loss of control on the ground

3/6/2007· BR· SALVADOR
PT-RGV
Serious

System or component failure

Registrations in Brazil

15 operational aircraft owned by companies in the ANAC registry (RAB). Each opens the profile with owner, operator, status and history.

PT-EFXPT-RFRPT-RFTPT-RGWPT-RVTPT-VAPPT-VCHPT-VEVPT-VJZPT-VKAPT-VKBPT-VKDPT-VKJPT-VLVPT-VLX

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Embraer EMB-820C Carajá cost?

The Embraer EMB-820C Carajá is out of production, so there is no factory price. On the used market the median is around US$ 350,000, varying with year and flight hours; see real listings on this model's Market tab. Reference value as of 06/2026.

What is the range of the Embraer EMB-820C Carajá?

The maximum range is 745 nm (745 NM · 1,380 km).

How fast is the Embraer EMB-820C Carajá?

Cruise speed is 216 kt, equivalent to 400 km/h.

How many passengers does the Embraer EMB-820C Carajá seat?

The Embraer EMB-820C Carajá has 10 seats in total, counting the pilot seat: up to 9 passengers.

How many Embraer EMB-820C Carajá are there in Brazil?

There are 21 active units in the RAB-ANAC (data as of 11/10/2026): operational, mark reservation or suspended, excluding cancelled registrations.

Who operates the Embraer EMB-820C Carajá in Brazil?

13 distinct operators operate 19 units of the Embraer EMB-820C Carajá in the RAB-ANAC: 11 in air taxi (RBAC 135) and 8 in private operation (RBAC 91), concentrated in SP, AM and BA (data as of 11/10/2026). Not included in that count: 2 units run by public bodies (police, fire departments or government). Name, fleet and state of each operator are on this model's Analytics tab and in the operators directory.

How much does it cost to operate the Embraer EMB-820C Carajá per hour?

Jet Tracker estimate: about US$ 2,008 per flight hour at 200 h/year, of which US$ 914 per hour is variable cost (fuel, engine program, maintenance reserves) plus US$ 218,800 per year of fixed cost (crew, hangar, insurance), under Jet Tracker's default assumptions (Southeast Brazil, in-house crew, 200 h/year). Run your own scenario on this model's Costs tab.