What happened
On August 28, 2005, an Air Tractor AT-802, registration EC-HEL, was engaged in aerial firefighting operations near Sa Font d’es Nogué in the municipality of Escorca, Mallorca. The aircraft, operated by Martínez Ridao Tratamientos Aéreos, was performing its second water drop of the day to combat a forest fire in the valley of the Cúber and Gorg Blau reservoirs.
During the maneuver, the aircraft was flying in a northeast direction, a route chosen following advice from a more experienced pilot to facilitate a safer exit from the valley. After discharging its water payload, the aircraft entered a state of increasing bank angle. Witnesses observed the aircraft performing maneuvers that eventually led to an inverted flight position. The aircraft subsequently entered a spin, lost control, and struck the terrain with its right wing. The impact caused the total destruction of the Air Tractor AT-802 and ignited a fire that burned approximately 1.7 hectares of surrounding vegetation. The pilot, a highly experienced commercial aviator with approximately 24,500 total flight hours, sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation examined the flight sequence, the pilot's experience, and the mechanical state of the aircraft. Investigators analyzed witness statements and the wreckage distribution, which indicated that the aircraft's engine was still producing power at the moment of impact. The investigation focused on the aerodynamic changes occurring during the water discharge, specifically the pitch-up moment caused by the sudden loss of weight.
Findings
- The pilot possessed extensive experience in large commercial aircraft but had very limited experience specifically with the Air Tractor AT-802 and aerial firefighting operations.
- The aircraft was fully airworthy and properly certified for agricultural and firefighting use.
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's excessive focus on visually verifying the effectiveness of the water drop, which led to two critical errors: the inadvertent induction of a heavy bank angle and a failure to apply nose-down elevator input to counteract the pitch-up moment caused by the water discharge.
- The combination of an uncontrolled pitch-up and an increasing bank angle resulted in an unrecoverable spin.