On October 14, 2010, a Piper PA-36-375 Dromader (registration EC-EJR) was involved in an aviation accident near Alcora (Castellón / Castelló), ES. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A deficient execution of the emergency landing maneuver initiated after a possible engine power loss at low altitude. The reason for the engine power loss in flight could not be determined during the investigation. This summary draws on records from the Spanish Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC).
On 14 October 2010, a Piper PA-36 Brave 375 (EC-EJR) crashed in Alcora, Castellón, during a low-altitude agricultural spraying flight. The pilot was uninjured, and the aircraft was destroyed.
Incident Overview and Location On 14 October 2010, at 11:45 local time, a Piper PA-36 Brave 375 with registration EC-EJR, operated by Trabajos Aéreos Espejo, S.L., crashed near Alcora in the province of Castellón, Spain. The aircraft had departed from Castellón aerodrome (LECN) to conduct commercial agricultural spraying operations. At the time of the incident, it was on its second flight of the day and was flying over an orange grove near the María Cristina reservoir. ## Flight Details and Pilot Account The pilot reported that after completing a first pass, he initiated a turn and noticed the aircraft losing power and speed. He advanced the throttle to maximum and released the spray load using the emergency lever. Unable to maintain altitude, he decided to make an emergency landing. At that moment, the aircraft was flying south of the reservoir on an approximate southwest-northeast heading. During the emergency landing, the aircraft descended down the slope of a ravine near kilometer post 5 of road CV-189. It came to rest 10 meters from the upper edge of the slope, with the nose pointing toward the top of the slope in a southwest direction. The pilot was uninjured and was able to exit the aircraft under his own power. ## Aircraft Damage and Post-Accident Inspection The aircraft was destroyed, sustaining significant damage to the wing (primarily the left plane), fuselage, and tail cone. The landing gear detached, and both the engine mount and propeller were torn away and displaced to the left of the aircraft. The first impact with the ground occurred with the tip of the left wing, which lost its position light. The aircraft then struck the left wing against stones marking the boundary of a plot 20 meters further, turned 180 degrees, and fell 5 meters down the ravine slope, sliding 10 meters before stopping. During the descent, the tail skid detached and came to rest 3 meters from the upper edge, while the left wing's flaps and aileron detached and came to rest 2 meters in front of the aircraft. The fuselage and tail assembly showed minimal damage, whereas the wing had significant deformations. The main landing gear collapsed and detached, remaining with the rest of the aircraft. The cockpit was undamaged. Inside, the throttle lever was at maximum, the propeller pitch lever was in the short pitch position, and the mixture lever was in the rich position. The main electrical switch was off. The engine assembly was torn away during the impact and came to rest transversely to the aircraft's longitudinal axis, displaced to the left. The propeller remained attached to the engine after the impact and was removed for transport. A detailed inspection of the engine in the hangar revealed that it turned freely and had compression in the cylinders. The spark plugs appeared normal, with insulation on the ignition cables, and the magneto was capable of producing current. The gasoline pump was removed and found to have significant wear on the drive shaft teeth, but it functioned normally and had no membrane damage. The fuel injector servo was removed and sent to the manufacturer, who reported that its operation was within normal parameters and that the mixture injection was slightly rich. The propeller consisted of three aluminum blades. Blade No. 1 was fractured in half, blade No. 2 (in the direction of engine rotation) had a torsional deformation from root to tip, with two impacts on the leading edge and material loss. Blade No. 3 was bent backward and had lost part of its material at the tip. This blade rested on the ground without being embedded. Blades No. 2 and No. 3 had multiple longitudinal scratches and some transverse scratches. The flange connecting the crankshaft and propeller was deformed but showed no cracks or breaks. ## Crew and Aircraft Information The pilot was 31 years old and held a commercial pilot license for airplanes (CPL(A)). He had a total of 2,387 flight hours, including 42 hours on the type. He had held a private pilot license for airplanes (PPL(A)) since July 1990, a commercial pilot license for airplanes (CPL(A)) since February 2004, and an agroforestry qualification for Spanish aircraft only. His license, qualification, and medical certificate were valid. The Piper PA-36-375 was manufactured in 1980 with serial number 36-8002041 and had 3,805:27 flight hours at the time of the accident. It was equipped with a Lycoming IO-720-D1CD fuel-injected engine, which had serial number L-1256-54A and 3,776:27 hours of operation. The last maintenance inspection was performed on 13 September 2010, when the aircraft had 3,791:15 flight hours and the engine had 3,762:15 hours of operation. During this inspection, the fuel injection lines were examined in accordance with airworthiness directive 2088-14-07 and Piper service bulletin 342D. ## Emergency Procedures and Operator Manual The aircraft's flight manual indicates that in the event of a power loss at low altitude, the first step is to prepare for an emergency landing by lowering the nose and maintaining the best approach speed, 14 mph above the stall speed. If altitude permits, an attempt should be made to recover power by setting the mixture rich, increasing power, enabling the alternate air intake, connecting the electric pump, and checking the engine indication and fuel flow. If power is not recovered, all cockpit switches should be checked, and the throttle and mixture levers should be moved to different positions. If power is not recovered, the manual establishes the following procedure for a no-power landing: remain calm, discard the load, trim the aircraft for the best approach speed (14 mph above the stall speed with flaps), and find a suitable landing site. Before landing, the landing should be made at the lowest possible speed above the stall speed with the flaps fully extended, disconnecting the electric pump, magnetos, and main electrical switch (the latter last to allow flap use until the last moment). Finally, close the fuel supply, cut the mixture, and keep the seatbelt fastened and locked. The operator's approved operations manual includes a chapter on 'Aerial Treatments (14.3)' and a specific section on 'Agricultural Treatments (14.3.1)'. It covers crew training on safety regulations for these operations, including flight and chemical products. However, the manual does not mention emergencies due to engine power loss, nor does it address emergency landings outside of fields. ## Analysis and Conclusions All damage to the engine was consistent with the aircraft's path down the slope, striking the ground with its front. The propeller blades had longitudinal marks likely caused by dragging on the ground during the aircraft's displacement after impact. Apart from these marks, their general condition indicated that the propeller impacted the ground while the engine was providing power. However, it was not possible to determine how much power the engine was producing at the time of ground contact, especially considering that a power reduction by the pilot would be logical during an emergency landing. The post-accident engine inspection found no evidence of engine or associated system failure or malfunction that could justify a power loss, especially given that the aircraft had recently passed maintenance inspections normally. The possible power loss reported by the pilot occurred at low altitude over irregular terrain with many level variations, leaving him insufficient time to choose the most suitable field for an emergency landing. The aircraft appears to have reached the ground with an insufficiently level attitude and excessive speed, which made it difficult to control before and after landing. The operations manual includes a section on emergencies but does not establish any emergencies other than those described in the aircraft manual, nor does it mention specific emergencies that may arise in agricultural treatment operations or the specific training pilots receive in this regard. The cause was a deficient execution of the emergency landing maneuver initiated after a possible engine power loss at low altitude. The reason for the engine power loss in flight could not be determined during the investigation. The lack of specific pilot training and the absence of more elaborate company procedures regarding the emergency that arose are considered contributing factors.
Probable cause
A deficient execution of the emergency landing maneuver initiated after a possible engine power loss at low altitude. The reason for the engine power loss in flight could not be determined during the investigation. The lack of specific pilot training and the absence of more elaborate company procedures regarding the emergency that arose are considered contributing factors.