Accident Overview
On 9 October 1994, a Piper PA-34-200, registration CS-AOA, crashed into the sea approximately 500 meters off Praia Azul (Blue Beach), Portugal. The aircraft was on a sightseeing flight from Santa Cruz aerodrome to Cascais aerodrome, carrying a pilot and four passengers. The accident occurred at approximately 21:59 local time, as reported by the Lisbon Air Traffic Control Center.
Flight History
The aircraft had arrived at Santa Cruz from Cascais earlier that day. After parking for about an hour, it departed for the return flight at 17:20. The pilot climbed and turned left, heading south parallel to the coastline at a distance of about 500 meters, stabilizing at an altitude of around 700 feet. While in level flight, the aircraft began to bank to the right and descend without apparent cause. Despite the pilot's efforts to correct the attitude, control could not be regained, and the aircraft struck the water.
Survivors and Rescue
Three occupants survived the impact and swam to shore with assistance from surfers in the area. The other two occupants did not survive. The pilot was among the survivors.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft was recovered from the sea on 26 November 1994 in a state of total destruction. Examination revealed that both wings had been torn off at the fuel tank forward bulkhead. The empennage, including the vertical stabilizer and rudder, was missing; only the horizontal stabilizer spar and partial skin remained. The cabin upper structure and nose section were absent. Landing gear wheels and magnesium components had degraded due to prolonged immersion in seawater. Engines and propellers appeared largely intact but showed signs of corrosion and missing cowlings.
Investigation
An extensive visual and laboratory examination of the wreckage yielded no conclusive results regarding the cause of the accident. The report stated that it was not possible to determine why the aircraft entered the uncontrolled descent.