What happened
On March 5, 2023, a Cessna 172S, registration EC-JPY, departed Sabadell Airport for a local visual flight involving stops at La Seu d'Urgell and La Cerdanya aerodromes. The flight, operated as a private pleasure flight, included a pilot and one passenger.
During the flight, the pilot encountered several critical issues. While at La Cerdanya, the pilot attempted an approach using outdated radio frequencies, leading to a loss of separation with another aircraft. Following this encounter, the pilot proceeded toward the Sierra de Moixeró. While attempting to traverse the mountain range, the pilot initiated a steep climb to clear the terrain. This maneuver caused the aircraft to enter a stall, resulting in the nose and right landing gear striking the snow-covered mountain ridge.
Despite the impact, the aircraft''s nose dropped after clearing the crest, allowing the pilot to regain control. The aircraft continued the flight to Sabadell, where the pilot performed a hard landing. Upon inspection on the ground, significant damage was discovered on the propeller, engine cowling, and right wingtip, as well as a restricted movement in the elevator control due to the nose gear compressing the firewall.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation established that the pilot was using aeronautical charts that had not been updated for over four years. This lack of current information contributed to the inability to establish communication at La Cerdanya and a failure to properly plan the terrain clearance. The investigation also noted that the pilot's experience was primarily in multi-engine aircraft, and he lacked specific mountain flight training. The investigation examined the aircraft's impact with the terrain, noting that the impact with metallic electric fence posts partially cushioned the strike but caused structural damage.
Findings
- Incorrect flight planning, specifically the use of obsolete aeronautical charts.
- Failure to adhere to VFR rules, including flying below the required altitude relative to terrain.
- Loss of situational awareness and poor decision-making regarding the climb profile required to clear the mountains.
- Increased workload following the near-collision with another aircraft at La Cendanya.
- Lack of specific mountain flying training for the pilot.