Yakovlev Yak-52 accident at El Álamo, Madrid (LY-EST)

Flight details and accident sequence On 10 March 2000, a Yakovlev Yak-52 with registration LY-EST departed Casarrubios del Monte aerodrome in Toledo for a local recreational flight. The pilot, a 67-year-old male, was accompanied by one passenger. After approximately forty minutes of flight near the aerodrome, the pilot announced an intention to perform a pass over the runway before landing. The aircraft flew low over the threshold of runway 08 and climbed at a steep angle of about 45 degrees to approximately 300 meters (1,000 feet) above field level, where it entered level flight. The pilot then executed a half roll, placing the aircraft in an inverted attitude. This position was maintained for about 25 to 30 seconds while the aircraft gradually lost altitude along a path aligned with the runway axis. With only a few meters of altitude remaining, the pilot completed the roll to return to normal flight attitude and immediately impacted the ground about 650 meters east of the runway 26 threshold. The aircraft slid approximately 125 meters down a gentle slope and caught fire. The accident site was located one kilometer northeast of El Álamo, Madrid. ## Casualties and damage Both occupants died at the scene. The aircraft was totally destroyed by the impact and the subsequent fire. No other damage was reported. The fire was extinguished by the Madrid regional fire service. ## Crew and aircraft information The pilot held a private pilot license for airplanes issued by the Spanish aeronautical authority, with a validation granted by the Lithuanian civil aviation inspection on 27 September 1999. He had 32,000 total flight hours, with four hours in the preceding 24 hours. His type-specific hours were unknown. He was a retired airline pilot who had flown aircraft from the DC-3 to the A-300 between 1966 and 1993, and had previously served as a military pilot flying the Bücker, HS 42, T-33, and F-86 Sabre. At the time of the accident, he was engaged in Yak-52 instruction duties. The Yakovlev Yak-52 is a Russian military training and aerobatic aircraft.