What happened
On the morning of February 25, 2012, a RANS S7 Courier, registration EC-YUN, departed from the Los Martínez del Puerto aerodrome in Murcia, Spain. The flight plan involved traveling to Catral and then to the María airfield, located between Orce and María. After a two-and-a single-engine aircraft, the crew remained at the María airfield for approximately two and a half hours before preparing for the return leg.
At approximately 15:14 local time, the aircraft began its takeoff roll on runway 27. Witnesses observed the aircraft zig-zagging during the ground roll. Upon liftoff, the aircraft maintained a high angle of attack and drifted toward the left side of the runway. As the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 60 to 70 meters, the pilot initiated a 180-degree turn to head east. During this maneuver, the aircraft entered a continuous turn with the nose and left wing dropping, eventually impacting the terrain approximately 700 meters from the start of the takeoff roll and 190 meters left of the runway centerline. The impact and subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft, and both the pilot and the passenger died in the accident.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation examined witness statements, meteorological data, and photographic evidence captured by another pilot during the takeoff. Analysis of the photographs revealed that the aircraft was operating with flaps retracted and was traveling at a speed of less than 90 km/h, which is very close to the aircraft's stall speed of 80.5 km/h. The investigation also noted that the initial climb rate was significantly reduced, estimated at only 2 m/s compared to the standard 4.35 m/s.
Meteorological data from nearby stations in Baza and Huéscar indicated variable winds from the northwest and southwest, with gusts reaching up to 30 km/h. While these winds were generally light, they were significant relative to the aircraft's low-speed flight characteristics. The investigation also confirmed that the engine was at maximum power at the moment of impact and found no defects in the flight controls.
Findings
- The aircraft likely took off prematurely due to the influence of a wind gust.
- The pilot proceeded directly into a climbing turn without a horizontal acceleration phase to reach a safer airspeed.
- The combination of low airspeed, the aerodynamic loads of the 180-degree turn, turbulence, and a tailwind component caused the aircraft to enter an aerodynamic stall.
- The aircraft entered a left-hand spin, and the low altitude prevented any effective recovery maneuver, despite evidence suggesting an attempt to recover by rolling the aircraft to the right before impact.