What happened
On July 8, 2003, a Piper PA-36-285 was conducting aerial application services over tomato plantations near Valdivia, Badajoz. The aircraft, operated by Tratamientos Aéreos Martínez Ridao, was performing its final pass of the day, dispersing chemical powder over a field.
As the pilot approached the southeastern corner of the plot, the aircraft encountered a high-voltage power line crossing the area. In an attempt to clear the lines, the pilot applied back pressure to the elevator to climb over the cables. During this maneuver, the right wing struck the 20 kV lines, causing two cables to break and damaging a utility pole.
Following the impact, the aircraft's flight path became unstable. The pilot attempted to regain control by increasing engine power and pushing the nose down, but the aircraft entered a dive and struck the ground approximately 60 meters from the initial impact point. The impact was followed by a post-crash fire that destroyed the aircraft. The pilot survived the crash but sustained one fatality (the pilot) and serious injuries to both legs, along with burns to the hands.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation examined the wreckage, the state of the electrical infrastructure, and witness testimonies. Investigators found that the right wing had been severed from the fuselage during the encounter, with a piece of the broken cable caught in the wing's navigation light.
Physical evidence at the scene showed that the impact with the cables caused a significant deceleration. While the pilot managed to briefly stabilize the nose, the tension from the cable still attached to a utility pole eventually caused the pole to fail, leading to the subsequent uncontrolled descent and crash.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the initiation of a right turn before the aircraft had fully cleared the power lines, which placed the right wing in direct contact with the cables.
- The presence of suspended chemical powder in the air likely acted as a contributing factor by reducing visibility for the pilot during the maneuver.