Piper PA 36-375 EC-EYO accident near Villafranco del Guadalquivir

Flight and accident context On 8 June 2000, a Piper PA 36-375 with registration EC-EYO was contracted to spray liquid herbicide over a rice field in the municipality of Villafranco del Guadalquivir, Seville. The operation used parallel low-altitude passes, with two ground markers moving along the field edges to guide the pilot. The field was crossed by an electrical power line roughly perpendicular to the passes, about 40 m from one edge and at a height of about 10 m, reducing to 7–8 m in the accident area due to catenary sag. Each pass was about 1 km long. ## Sequence of events The pilot reported that the herbicide was applied in a highly volatilized form, requiring passes below the power line at less than 2 m altitude to avoid damaging neighboring farms. Weather was good, with calm winds, clear skies, and good visibility; flights were conducted under visual flight rules. The pilot was the only person on board. Flights began before 08:00 local time (06:00 UTC), with four passes per refueling cycle. The accident occurred on the eleventh pass, the third pass of the third flight, in the direction from the marker farthest from the power line. During the pass, the pilot observed that the young female marker at the far end was not moving her flag as in previous passes; she remained upright and facing the aircraft. The pilot stated he did not have time to pass over the power line because of the maneuver already underway and the aircraft’s mass, so he passed under it as usual. Immediately after passing the line, he pulled back hard on the control column and felt a strike to the left landing gear during the climb. Evidence later indicated that the marker’s head struck the inner face of the left landing-gear wheel. ## Injuries and damage The ground marker was killed. The pilot was not listed as injured in the provided injury table. The aircraft sustained non-significant damage that did not prevent it from continuing the flight and landing normally on the strip used for the operation. The aircraft remained airworthy and continued agricultural work. No additional damage was reported beyond the personal injury to the marker. ## Personnel and aircraft information The pilot was a 25-year-old Spanish national holding a commercial pilot license for airplanes, number 10707, with a license date of 3 June 1999. His flight medical certificate was renewed on 18 May 2000 and expired on 18 May 2001. His ratings included single-engine land, multi-engine land, IFR, and a restricted operator of radiotelephony certificate. He had also completed agricultural pilot training courses. His total flight time was 1,750 hours. The source does not provide further details on the aircraft’s airframe, certificate of airworthiness, maintenance records, or engine beyond the sections listed in the table of contents.