Piper PA-28-161 EC-DSD Mountain Impact in Tenerife

Flight Details and Accident Overview On the morning of January 25, 2009, a Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II, registration EC-DSD, was conducting a private general aviation flight over Tenerife. The aircraft, operated privately and powered by a single Lycoming O320-D3G engine, carried the pilot in command and two passengers. The flight was a local Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operation with a planned route to circle the island clockwise along the coast, departing from and returning to Tenerife Norte airport. ## Crew and Aircraft Condition The pilot in command was 29 years old and held a private pilot license for airplanes. The source data presents conflicting information regarding the pilot's experience: the summary section lists 7,350 total flight hours and 2,000 hours on type, while the detailed report section states a total experience of 170 hours. In the three months prior to the accident, the pilot had logged 3 hours and 30 minutes of flight time, with no flights in the month immediately preceding the incident. ## Weather and Operational Context Meteorological conditions at Tenerife Norte degraded rapidly during the flight. The 12:30 UTC METAR indicated good visibility, but by 13:30 UTC, visibility had dropped to 3,000 meters with broken clouds at 300 feet and fog banks. The Spanish State Meteorological Agency noted that moderate north-northeast winds at low levels pushed abundant clouds and fog into the accident area, causing significant visibility reductions. ## Sequence of Events The aircraft was cleared for takeoff from runway 30 at 12:36:59. After a brief transponder issue was resolved, the flight proceeded along the planned coastal route. At 13:16:56, while over Teno, the pilot reported position to the tower. Controllers subsequently advised the pilot of degrading weather conditions and cloud build-up at various entry points to the Control Zone (CTR). The pilot requested and was approved for Special VFR to proceed from point W to point S over the island. This was the last communication with the aircraft. Radar contact was lost at 13:34:40. ## Impact and Aftermath The aircraft impacted the north slope of Montaña de la Crucita at coordinates 28°21’8.76”N 16°28’50.16”W and an elevation of 1,775 meters (5,823 feet). The impact occurred nose-first, after which the aircraft dragged along the terrain on its left side, shearing off pines and losing both wings. The cockpit remained largely intact, which contributed to the occupants sustaining only serious injuries rather than fatal ones. All three occupants were evacuated by air. The aircraft was destroyed, and no other damage was reported.