2007 Aeronorte Dromader M-18B accident at Rexaldia (SP-ZWY)

Overview and flight history On 3 August 2007, a single-engine Dromader M-18B, registration SP-ZWY, operated by Aeronorte and assigned to the National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) for the 2007 fire-fighting campaign, was involved in an accident near Rexaldia, Torres Novas. The aircraft was owned by PZL-EADS and had been based at Giesteira airfield in Fátima. It was designated A-15 and was flying with another Dromader, SP-ZWM, designated A-14. A fire broke out near the village of Rexaldia, about 4 nautical miles east of Giesteira. The aircraft took off around 14:10 UTC and made five water drops without incident. At 15:49 UTC, it took off again and reached the fire area around 15:54 UTC. The fire was nearly extinguished when the aircraft made a left turn around the burned area and then proceeded south over a plateau. ## Accident sequence Witnesses described the aircraft as flying too low, at the height of a third or fourth floor. While flying at low altitude, the pilot contacted a fire-service operator on the ground to ask about the drop location. The operator indicated a 09:00 position, and the pilot acknowledged. The pilot then asked for the operator's position, which was given as 12 o'clock, and the pilot confirmed visual contact. Shortly after this communication, the aircraft struck a medium-sized pine tree with its right wing. The pilot was unable to maintain control, and the aircraft crashed and caught fire about 120 meters from the initial impact. The pilot, the sole occupant, was killed. The aircraft was completely destroyed. ## Aircraft and pilot The Dromader M-18B was a single-engine, low-wing monoplane with a fixed conventional landing gear. It was powered by a 9-cylinder, 1,000 hp engine and had a maximum takeoff mass of 5,300 kg and a water capacity of 2,500 liters. The pilot was a 56-year-old Portuguese national holding a commercial pilot license. He had 5,570 total flight hours, including 80 hours on the Dromader, and had completed recent training and fire-fighting refresher courses.