History of the Flight
On 28 June 2008, the Jabiru SK, registration CS-XAK, departed Azambuja at 08:50 UTC, stopped at Portimão aerodrome, and departed at 11:00 UTC for Tavira to participate in an air festival. The flight followed the coast at low altitude, crossed Faro CTR via the east-west tunnel for VFR traffic, and passed south of Tavira's runway. As it was the pilot's first visit to the aerodrome, he followed instructions from the Tavira radio operator and prepared to land on runway 12, executing a left-hand visual circuit. He maintained a tailwind until about 1 km from the runway and turned left onto final. During the final approach, while configured for landing, the pilot saw a bird ahead and maneuvered to avoid it by turning left and lowering the nose. During this evasive action, the aircraft collided with a medium-voltage power line crossing the approach sector. The lower cable wrapped around the aircraft, over the engine cowling and under the wing, breaking the cable. The aircraft was then pulled to the ground by the cable's whipping action, crashing into a fruit orchard about 160 meters before the displaced threshold. The pilot and passenger evacuated the aircraft unaided. The Municipal Firefighters of Tavira arrived and witnessed a fire and explosion; despite their efforts, the aircraft was destroyed.
Injuries
The pilot sustained minor injuries to the left arm, and the passenger was apparently uninjured but later found to have contusions on limbs and thorax, attributable to shock and priority attention given to the pilot.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft was partially consumed by fire and deemed irrecoverable.
Other Damage
The power cable was severed, and several fruit trees were broken.
Pilot Information
The 49-year-old Portuguese male held a PPL(A) valid until 30 September 2012, with qualifications SEP and R/T. His last medical examination was on 10 April 2007 with no restrictions. Total flight experience: 558 hours 5 minutes; 37 hours 35 minutes in the last 90 days; 19 hours 20 minutes in the last 30 days; 5 hours 25 minutes in the last week; 2 hours 15 minutes in the last 24 hours.
Aircraft Information
The Jabiru SK was an experimental aircraft with a flight license issued by INAC instead of an airworthiness certificate. It was a single-engine, high-wing, fixed tricycle gear monoplane with a maximum takeoff mass of 430 kg. Manufacturer: Jabiru. Cell model SK, serial P138, built 1998, 576:40 hours, 700 landings. Engine model 2200A, serial 22A205, built 1997. Propeller model JJC 1048LC, serial 13198002. Last inspection on 5 April 2008.
Meteorological Information
Sky clear, good visibility. At the nearest station (Faro), wind variable between 100° and 180° at 6 knots.
Communications
The pilot established contact with Faro ATM, followed instructions, and kept the transponder on. At Tavira, he switched to the local frequency.
Aerodrome Information
The ultralight runway, owned by the local Aero Club, is located about 500 m southwest of Tavira, constrained between National Road 125 and the railway. Maximum length 470 m, with displaced thresholds due to obstacles, resulting in 280 m effective landing distance. At the northern end (runway 12), the road is perpendicular to the runway, flanked by low-voltage power lines, telephone cables, a car dealership, and support buildings. Further away, about 250 m from the road, an unmarked medium-voltage power line crossed the approach obliquely. Runway 30 had similar obstacles: the railway, a level crossing, telephone cables, and a low-voltage power line, with colored strips added for visibility. The aerodrome information sheet did not mention the displaced thresholds and continued to indicate a runway length of 460 m, only noting nearby obstacles and recommending special procedures.
Wreckage and Impact
The aircraft came to rest in Quinta do Passarinho, entangled with the power cable still attached to the nearest pole. Before hitting the ground, it struck small fruit trees, causing fractures and deformation of the propeller, landing gear, wing, and fuselage.
Fire
A fire erupted minutes after the occupants evacuated. The firefighters arrived promptly but could not prevent the destruction of the aircraft.
Survival
Both occupants exited the aircraft by themselves before the fire broke out.
Tests and Research
Not applicable.
Organizational and Management Information
Not applicable.
Additional Information
Not applicable.
Analysis and Conclusions
The investigation determined that the primary cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to timely detect the medium-voltage power line during the approach to runway 12, due to his attention being focused on the bird and the reduced visibility of the unmarked line. A contributing factor was the absence of information about the power line in aeronautical publications.