Incident Overview
On Tuesday, June 15, 2004, at approximately 19:30 local time, an Air Tractor Inc AT-802 with registration EC-IOE was involved in an accident during a commercial firefighting operation. The aircraft, operated by Faasa Aviación and powered by a single Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67AG engine, was based at the temporary airfield of El Maíllo in Salamanca, Spain.
Flight Details and Sequence of Events
The pilot, a 27-year-old commercial pilot with 1,700 total flight hours, received an alert for a fire in Villarino at 19:15. The aircraft was loaded with approximately 600 gallons of water and over 1,000 liters of fuel. During the takeoff roll on the 800-meter dirt runway, which featured an uphill gradient and surface irregularities, the aircraft failed to accelerate beyond 80 knots despite full power application.
The pilot attempted to abort or drop the load but determined there was insufficient speed and remaining runway distance due to a fence and ravine at the end of the strip. The aircraft cleared the fence but remained on the ground, eventually coming to rest approximately 300 meters beyond the runway threshold in line with the centerline.
Damage and Investigation Findings
The aircraft sustained significant damage to the propeller, minor damage to the landing gear, right wing, fuselage underside, and horizontal stabilizer. The tail wheel detached, and the right main gear folded under the wing. The pilot exited the aircraft without injury.
Investigation ruled out mechanical failure, as engine parameters were normal and no anomalies were found during inspection. Performance calculations indicated that the available runway length was critically short for the aircraft's weight (approximately 14,500 lb) and environmental conditions, including high altitude, temperature, and the unprepared nature of the surface.