Aircraft and Flight Details
On May 30, 2006, an Air Tractor AT-802, registration EC-GOS, operated by Martinez Ridao, departed from its base near Utrera, Seville, at 16:30 local time on a positioning flight to Ibiza Airport. The flight was intended to join a firefighting campaign scheduled to begin on June 1. The aircraft was occupied solely by the pilot. The flight plan indicated a duration of 2 hours 30 minutes, and the aircraft had an endurance of 5 hours.
Pilot Information
The pilot, a 54-year-old Spanish male, held a Commercial Pilot License issued on April 9, 2002, and various ratings including agricultural/forestry, single-engine land and amphibious, Air Tractor turbine, and VFR day. His most recent Class 1 medical examination was on April 19, 2006, valid for six months.
Accident Sequence
After departure, the aircraft entered an area of very strong thunderstorms with intense rain, very strong winds, and severe gusts. The structural loads imposed by these conditions exceeded the aircraft's design limits, resulting in an in-flight breakup. A witness reported seeing the aircraft in difficulties and suggested it might have been attempting to reach a recently built airstrip known as "Las Canadillas," as the area was familiar to the pilot. The accident is estimated to have occurred around 17:40 local time, based on a witness call to emergency services at 17:46.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was located in a steep, rugged area near Fuente-Higuera, in the municipality of Molinicos, Albacete province. The main wreckage, concentrated at coordinates 38 deg 29 min 17 sec N, 002 deg 14 min 13 sec W, included the engine, water tank, cabin, and wings. Additional components, such as parts of control surfaces, stabilizers, and the fin, were scattered within a radius of approximately 300 meters. The aircraft was destroyed in the accident. No other damage to property or terrain was reported.
Official Determination
The investigation determined that the aircraft's encounter with severe thunderstorms, characterized by intense rain and very strong winds and gusts, subjected the structure to stresses beyond its limits, causing the in-flight breakup.