What happened
On April 29, 2005, a PIPER PA-36-375 Brave, registration EC-DGI, was performing a repositioning flight from Villanueva de Córdoba to the Córdoba Airport. The aircraft, operated by Trabajos Aéreos Espejo, S. L., was flying without cargo following the completion of aerial spraying operations.
While traversing mountainous terrain near the El Muriano shooting range, the aircraft began to lose altitude. The pilot attempted to recover by increasing engine power and adjusting the propeller pitch to minimum, but the aircraft failed to respond to these control inputs. Realizing a crash was imminent, the pilot executed an emergency landing on a mountain slope covered in dense brush. The pilot escaped the crash uninjured, though the aircraft sustained significant damage to the landing gear, wings, and fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on determining why the aircraft lost altitude despite the pilot's attempts to maintain flight. Investigators examined the engine, which was a Lycoming IO-720-D1CD, following the manufacturer's overhaul inspection protocols. The inspection of the engine components revealed that all parts were within established operational limits, and no mechanical failures were identified.
Findings
- The engine functioned correctly throughout the flight, with no mechanical anomalies detected during the post-impact inspection.
- No identifiable cause for the sudden loss of altitude could be established, as no malfunctions or structural anomalies were found in the aircraft following the event.