What happened
On July 27, 2000, a Piper PA 38-112, registration EC-DGV, departed from the Casarrubios del Monte Aerodrome in Toledo for a visual flight rules (VFR) navigation training mission. The flight was operated by a flight training organization and carried a flight instructor and a student pilot.
During the flight, the aircraft deviated from its planned route while attempting to locate a specific ground reference. While performing a left turn at an altitude estimated between 500 and 1,0-00 feet above the terrain, the aircraft entered a stall and subsequent spin. The aircraft struck a mountainside in the municipality of Cepeda de la Mora (Ávila) with a frontal impact and a slight rightward bank. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and the deaths of both occupants.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation examined the flight's progression, the crew's performance, and the environmental conditions. Investigators found that while the aircraft was airworthy and the crew held valid licenses, the flight was being conducted without a completed operational flight plan, which was a deviation from the operator's established procedures. Furthermore, the crew utilized a radio frequency for communication with a nearby aircraft that differed from the frequency prescribed by the school's operational procedures.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the entry into a stall and the onset of a spin during a left-hand turn at an altitude insufficient for recovery.
- The stall was likely triggered by a combination of crew distraction, as they were focused on locating a ground reference, and the potential effects of thermal updrafts/downdrafts common in mountainous terrain during summer.
- The crew maintained a flight attitude or airspeed approaching stall conditions due to this lack of attention to flight parameters.
- There was a lack of strict adherence to the operator's established flight planning and altitude minimum procedures.
Safety action
- It was recommended that the DGAC require the operator to increase minimum flight altitudes for maneuvers where stall conditions are expected, ensuring an adequate safety margin.
- A recommendation was made for the DGAC to verify that the flight training organization effectively implements its internal procedures regarding flight planning and instructor evaluations.