History of the Flight
On 8 September 2015, a Piper PA-28-181 aircraft, registration D-ELMN, departed from San Luis aerodrome in Menorca at 15:31 local time. The flight was a visual private trip to La Cerdanya aerodrome in Girona, with an expected duration of 2 hours and 10 minutes. The aircraft was leading a formation of three airplanes, followed by a Eurostar EV97 (D-MFSB) and a Wassmer WA 40 (D-EOSI). The formation had filed a flight plan under the callsign D-ELMN, and the accident aircraft was responsible for communications with air traffic services.
As the aircraft approached the Cerdanya aerodrome, it began a left turn while flying in a valley. Images recovered from a camera on the second aircraft (D-MFSB) showed the accident aircraft flying close to the ground. Shortly after initiating the turn, it struck trees on the left slope of the valley. The impact was followed by an explosion and fire.
The crews of the following aircraft reported no malfunctions or emergencies from the accident aircraft.
Injuries
The pilot and passenger both sustained fatal injuries. The pilot was the sole crew member, and the passenger was the only other occupant.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire. Several pine trees were damaged by the collision; however, due to high moisture in the vegetation, the fire was limited to the aircraft.
Personnel Information
The pilot, a 43-year-old German national, held a private pilot license (PPL(A)) with a single-engine piston (SEP) rating valid until 29 February 2016, and a medical certificate valid until 20 February 2017. According to fellow pilots, he had approximately 250 flight hours, of which about 200 were on the accident aircraft.
The passenger held an ultralight pilot license (TULM).
Aircraft Information
The Piper PA-28-181 (serial number 28-7890456) was manufactured in 1978 and equipped with a Lycoming O-360-A4M engine. It had a valid Airworthiness Review Certificate issued by the German Civil Aviation Authority (LBA) until 4 December 2015. The last 100-hour maintenance inspection was performed on 24 November 2014.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the accident was caused by improper pre-flight planning that did not take into consideration the difficulty of successfully exiting the valley at the altitude at which the aircraft was flying, resulting in a turn to the left and in the collision with the side of the mountain.