Incident Overview
On 24 February 2021, at 16:30 local time, an Air Tractor AT802 aircraft (registration EC-MNF) was involved in an accident approximately 17 kilometers southwest of Nueva Imperial, in the Araucanía Region of Chile. The aircraft was conducting aerial firefighting operations at low altitude in coordination with another aircraft.
Flight Details
The flight originated from Los Confines Aerodrome (SCGO) in Angol, Araucanía Region. The pilot, a 55-year-old Spanish national holding a valid commercial pilot license, was accompanied by another aircraft for a firefighting mission. During the flight, the communications center warned both pilots about the presence of low-altitude cables. The pilots conducted five passes over the fire area to visually identify any cables but reported not seeing any.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot's account, he positioned himself as the lead aircraft to perform a water drop at an altitude of approximately 12 meters above the terrain. While exiting the drop zone, the aircraft struck a steel cable. The impact caused the propeller to detach from the engine, resulting in a loss of directional control. The aircraft then collided with trees in a native forest and became suspended among them.
Damage and Injuries
The pilot escaped uninjured. The aircraft suffered extensive damage: the fuselage had multiple dents; the right wing was deformed from the center to the tip, and the left wing was deformed at the tip; the engine accessory gearbox connection to the propeller was broken; the propeller was detached from the engine with one blade separated and the other four blades showing multiple dents. There was no evidence of fire. Damage to the environment included broken branches on native trees.
Investigation
The accident is under investigation by the Chilean aviation authority. No probable cause has been stated in the preliminary information.