What happened
On November 13, 2011, a Bucker 1131-E3B, registration EC-EYSO, departed from La Axarquía aerodrome in Vélez-Málaga for a local flight. The aircraft was operated as a private flight with the pilot as the sole occupant.
After approximately twenty minutes of flight, the pilot entered the downwind leg for runway 31 to begin landing procedures. During this phase, the pilot decided to change the landing direction to runway 13. To facilitate this, the pilot proceeded to overfly runway 31 at a low altitude.
As the aircraft approached the end of the runway, the pilot attempted to engage the carburetor heat. Because the control for the carburetor heat is located on the right side of the cockpit, the pilot transitioned their hand positions on the control stick, intending to control the aircraft with the left hand while using the right hand for the heat lever. During this transition, the aircraft experienced a sudden, sharp movement to the right. The wingtips struck the top of a 6-meter-tall tree located approximately 110 meters from the runway centerline. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground roughly 100 meters further ahead in a flat, vegetated agricultural area.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight sequence and the pilot's actions during the reconfiguration of hand controls. Investigators examined the aircraft's flight path and the physical mechanics of the maneuver. The investigation established that the aircraft was operating at a high speed and a steep bank angle at a low altitude when the incident occurred. Meteorological data from the State Meteorological Agency confirmed good surface visibility and light southern winds of approximately 4 to 6.5 km/h, with gusts up to 10.8 km/h.
Findings
- The accident was caused by a loss of control in flight during a low-altitude maneuver.
- The pilot was executing a maneuver involving a high airspeed and a significant bank angle.
- The loss of control coincided with the pilot's attempt to switch hands on the control stick to operate the carburetor heat lever.
- The aircraft sustained important damage, while the pilot remained uninjured.