Accident Overview
On 30 April 2006, a Tecnam P92 Echo ultralight aircraft, Italian registration I-5652, was destroyed in an accident at Monte do Lago airstrip, near Montargil, Portugal. The pilot and the passenger, both Spanish nationals, sustained serious injuries.
Aircraft and Flight
The aircraft was a two-seat ultralight manufactured by Tecnam (model P92 Echo 100) with a Rotax 912 UL engine and a two-blade fixed-pitch wooden propeller. It had a maximum takeoff mass of 450 kg and had accumulated 695:25 total flight hours. The pilot had owned the aircraft for approximately one month before the accident and had flown about 15 hours since acquisition. The aircraft remained on Italian registry and had not yet been transferred to Spanish registration.
The pilot, aged 57, held ultralight and private pilot licenses with approximately 350 hours of ultralight experience and 45 hours in light aircraft. The passenger, aged 46, was the pilot's spouse and held no aeronautical license.
The flight departed Badajoz, Spain, at 09:30 UTC. No flight plan was filed, and no radio contact was established with the Lisbon Flight Information Centre or any other aeronautical station. Navigation was aided by a portable GPS unit.
Accident Sequence
After about 45 minutes of flight, the aircraft arrived at Monte do Lago, a private airstrip serving a rural tourism facility. The grass runway measured 525 by 20 meters, oriented 140°/320°. A wall and hedge approximately two meters high bordered the runway 32 threshold, and the runway ended at a ravine over 15 meters deep, nearly vertical.
The pilot overflew the airstrip to observe the windsock and runway condition. He selected runway 32 and initiated a right-hand circuit to final approach. The approach was conducted with excessive speed and above the normal glide path. The aircraft touched down beyond the midpoint of the runway. Braking application resulted in gentle deceleration; the pilot attempted intermittent brake pumping to increase effect, but the aircraft could not stop within the remaining distance.
The aircraft continued beyond the runway end, flew over the ravine, and impacted terrain approximately 50 meters beyond the runway threshold and 15 meters below runway level, in a cork oak grove.
Injuries and Damage
Impact was nose-first at an angle greater than 45° and at high speed. The fuselage compressed against the engine, then settled horizontally about 60 cm behind the initial impact point. The wing folded downward and forward, with fractured struts. The cockpit forward structure, instrument panel, and controls were substantially damaged. The landing gear was torn off. The engine and propeller sustained damage.
Both occupants were thrown forward into the windshield and then rearward into their seats. They suffered multiple fractures and serious injuries, particularly to the lower extremities from the firewall. A helicopter from the National Institute of Medical Emergency evacuated them to Abrantes hospital.
Investigation
The investigation was hampered by the severity of the pilot's injuries; he was transferred to a Spanish hospital the following day. Information from Spanish authorities confirmed the pilot's licenses and flight experience. No flight license or logbook were found at the scene. The aircraft's VHF radio was equipped but not used for communications. The airstrip's radio frequency was not in operation at the time; the windsock was operational and visible. Weather was good with clear skies and light wind (less than 10 km/h) aligned with the runway—conditions not considered contributory.