Incident Overview
On Tuesday, June 1, 2004, at approximately 08:30 local time, a Piper PA-36-285 Brave with registration EC-CUU crashed while attempting to take off from an unpaved agricultural track in the municipality of Granátula de Calatrava, Ciudad Real. The aircraft was engaged in commercial aerial work, specifically spraying olive trees with a mixture of water and pesticide.
Flight Sequence and Impact
The pilot initiated the takeoff roll on a 500-meter strip. After traveling approximately 400 meters, the aircraft failed to lift off. The pilot activated the emergency dump system, releasing two-thirds of the cargo, but the plane only gained a few meters of altitude before reaching the end of the usable runway. Unable to climb, the pilot released the remaining load. The aircraft drifted right and descended into an olive grove.
The first impact occurred when the right wing struck an olive tree, causing the aircraft to yaw. Subsequent impacts with other trees damaged the horizontal stabilizers, elevator, left main landing gear, and fuselage. The aircraft finally came to rest after rotating 90 degrees to the left. The pilot, a 68-year-old commercial pilot with an estimated 20,000 flight hours, exited the wreckage unharmed.
Investigation Findings
The investigation revealed that the aircraft was overloaded for the short runway. Calculations indicated a total weight of 2,004 kg, exceeding the maximum takeoff weight of 1,996 kg. The required takeoff distance with zero flaps was estimated at 490 meters, which exceeded the available 500-meter strip when accounting for safety margins and surface conditions.
Additionally, there were discrepancies regarding the control yoke. The installed grip did not match any part number in the operator's 1981 parts catalog. The pilot believed a flap switch was mounted on the yoke, but the aircraft manual indicated the flap switch was located on the left console. This confusion may have contributed to the failure to deploy flaps for takeoff, which would have reduced the required runway length.