2006 Piper PA-28RT-201T accident in Deba, Spain (EC-ENR)

Flight and accident details On 27 July 2006, a Piper PA-28RT-201T registered EC-ENR departed San Sebastián Airport at 14:35 local time on a visual flight rules flight to Vilar da Luz Airport near Porto, Portugal. The aircraft was operated privately and carried only the pilot. Weather at departure and along the initial route included extensive low and mid-level cloud, with cloud bases between 2,000 and 3,000 ft. The flight proceeded without incident until the aircraft reached 6,000 ft. From that point, its track showed continuous heading changes that took it away from the planned route. After flying at 7,100 ft for about two minutes, the aircraft disappeared from radar at 6,300 ft. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft emerge from cloud and descend rapidly into a wooded area near Itziar, in the municipality of Deba, Guipúzcoa, before it struck the ground and caught fire. The aircraft was destroyed, and the pilot died. ## Aircraft and pilot information The aircraft was a Piper PA-28RT-201T, serial number 28R-8131137, with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,315 kg. It was powered by a Teledyne Continental TSIO-360-FB engine rated at 200 hp. The pilot was a 40-year-old Portuguese national holding a private pilot licence for single-engine piston, land, VFR, and day operations. He had approximately 1,600 total flight hours and about 1,200 hours on type. ## Investigation findings The investigation concluded that the accident was caused by loss of control of the aircraft due to probable spatial disorientation of the pilot.