Accident Sequence
On June 26, 2020, at 09:05 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 aircraft, registration G-CETE, was involved in an accident during an instructional flight at La Axarquía-Leoni Benabu aerodrome in Málaga, Spain. The aircraft had taken off from the same aerodrome with a single occupant—a student pilot flying solo—to practice circuits. During the fourth landing on Runway 30, the aircraft veered to the left, departed the runway, and collided with the airfield perimeter fence.
Damage
As a result of the impact, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller, both wings, and the landing gear. The nose wheel and right main gear wheel detached, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The metal fence located to the left of the runway was also damaged.
Aircraft and Personnel Information
The aircraft was a Piper PA-28-161, serial number 2842079, manufactured in 2000 and registered in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2014. It was a single-engine, low-wing monoplane with a maximum takeoff mass of 1055 kg, powered by a Thielert TAE 125-02-99 engine driving a three-bladed wooden propeller. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 9174 flight hours, and its last Airworthiness Review Certificate was issued on June 1, 2020, valid until May 20, 2021.
The pilot was a 26-year-old Spanish student undergoing training for a Private Pilot Licence (PPL(A)). He held a valid Class 2 medical certificate expiring on September 6, 2020, and had logged 34.5 total flight hours, all on the G-CETE aircraft.
Meteorological Conditions
According to a meteorological station located 5 km southeast of the aerodrome, the wind was from the south at 5 km/h, with a maximum gust of 8 km/h in the ten minutes preceding the accident.
Probable Cause
The investigation concluded that the probable cause of the accident was the loss of control of the aircraft during the landing on Runway 30.