What happened
On October 2, 2011, at 17:31 h, a Dromader PZL M18B, registration EC-EVI, was engaged in aerial firefighting operations near Monterrei, Ourense. The aircraft, operated by LPU Martínez Ridao Aviación S.L., was responding to a rapidly spreading forest fire between the municipalities of Vences and Arcucelos.
During the mission, the pilot notified controllers that the first water drop pass was beginning. However, no follow-up communication was received regarding the completion of the maneuver. Shortly after, the aircraft was located on a mountainside in an area that the fire had not yet reached, though the flames were advancing toward the site. The impact destroyed the aircraft.
Following the crash, the pilot managed to exit the wreckage and moved approximately 120 meters away from the site. Despite the successful evacuation from the aircraft, the pilot later succumbed to injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's airworthiness, the pilot's training, and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. The aircraft was found to be fully airworthy, with all documentation in order, and the engine was producing power at the moment of impact. The pilot held valid commercial and agricultural licenses and had significant experience in this aircraft type.
Investigators analyzed the flight path and the impact dynamics. The examination of the wreckage showed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction prior to the collision. The investigation also reviewed the autopsy results, which noted the presence of soot in the respiratory tract, indicating the pilot inhaled smoke, but the absence of carboxyhemoglobin suggested the pilot died before the main fire front reached the wreckage.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was intense turbulence generated by the forest fire, which significantly affected the right wing of the aircraft.
- This turbulence caused the aircraft to lift and enter a left-hand turn.
- As the aircraft emerged from the smoke, it was flying on a direct course toward the mountain.
- The proximity to the terrain left the pilot with insufficient distance to execute an effective evasive maneuver, though the aircraft's attitude at impact was consistent with an attempt to avoid the collision.
- The pilot's death was attributed to respiratory anoxia, likely resulting from a pulmonary embolism following a femur fracture sustained during the impact.