History of the Flight
On 29 April 2017, a Socata TB-20 Trinidad aircraft, registration D-ECJP, took off from Mutxamel Aerodrome (LEMU) in Alicante at 14:36 UTC, destined for Federico García Lorca Granada-Jaén Airport (LEGR). The flight was conducted under visual flight rules (VFR). The aircraft was part of a group of eight airplanes that had departed from Germany for an air tour. After entering Spanish airspace from Perpignan-Rivesaltes (LFMP), the group stopped at Mutxamel for rest and refueling. Due to weather conditions in the southeast Iberian Peninsula, the aircraft followed the coastline from LEMU toward LEGR, with D-ECJP taking off first. The flight path passed along the provinces of Alicante, Murcia, Almería, Granada, and Málaga. Near the La Axarquía aerodrome (LEAX), the aircraft turned north (354°) toward the south entrance point of the visual approach circuit for LEGR. During this final segment, the aircraft struck the side of a foothill in the Sierra de Tejeda, in Canillas del Aceituno, Málaga.
Injuries and Damage
The three occupants—the pilot and two passengers—were killed. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact. One passenger assisted with navigation and communications with air traffic control.
Investigation and Conclusions
The investigation identified two precursors: a loss of perception by the crew that the flight was being conducted under VFR, and communications between the aircraft and air traffic control that may have been misinterpreted. The accident was ultimately caused by the loss of visual references during the VFR flight.
Probable Cause
The probable cause, as stated by the investigation, is the loss of visual references while conducting a VFR flight.