Factual Information
On Saturday, 15 February 2020, at 14:30 local time, a Socata TB-10 aircraft, registration EC-FSM, operated by Adventia European Aviation College S.A., was involved in an accident at Matacán Airport (Salamanca). The flight was a local training mission intended to be mission number 4 of the syllabus for obtaining a Commercial Pilot License (CPL(A)). On board were an instructor, a student pilot at the controls with 4 hours and 25 minutes of flight experience, and another student acting as a passenger.
Accident Sequence
Before the first flight of the day, the instructor proposed performing a simulated engine failure after takeoff at low altitude, a maneuver not included in mission number 4 or any other mission in the Training Manual. The instructor explained the maneuver on the ramp and reviewed it verbally just before takeoff. The maneuver was executed during the first flight with student pilot 1. After completing mission 4 for that student, the two students swapped positions so that student pilot 2 could begin his mission 4. The instructor again proposed the same simulated engine failure. During the maneuver, when the instructor reduced power, student pilot 2 attempted to follow instructions with limited success. The instructor intervened on the controls without an explicit transfer of control. The aircraft then made abnormal contact with the runway with high vertical speed, wings level, and a positive pitch attitude.
Aircraft and Personnel
The aircraft was a Socata TB-10, registration EC-FSM. The operator was Adventia European Aviation College S.A., an approved training organization (ATO). The three occupants—the instructor, the student pilot, and the other student—were all uninjured.
Damage
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the main landing gear, the rear fuselage, and the left wing. The aircraft was able to taxi off the runway under its own power to the parking apron, where the extent of the damage was assessed.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the cause of the accident was the instructor's lack of adherence to instruction procedures. The maneuver performed was not authorized and was not included in the training syllabus. As a result, safety recommendations were issued to Adventia European Aviation College to ensure no unauthorized activities are conducted during training flights, and to the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) to reinforce its oversight of the organization.