Factual Information
The accident occurred on 28 August 2005, shortly before 11:00 local time. The aircraft, an Air Tractor AT-802 registered EC-HEL, operated by Martínez Ridao Tratamientos Aéreos, was performing a water discharge on a forest fire near Sa Font d’es Nogué in the municipality of Escorca, northwest Mallorca. The operation took place in a valley containing the Cúber and Gorg Blau reservoirs. The valley runs southwest-northeast, with slopes of varying heights; the fire was located on one slope.
According to witnesses, after releasing its water load, the aircraft lost control during the recovery maneuver. It executed a series of rolls and turns, reportedly reaching an inverted attitude, before violently impacting the ground. The impact and subsequent fire completely destroyed the aircraft. The pilot, the sole occupant, died.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft was an Air Tractor AT-802, a single-engine agricultural and firefighting aircraft. The pilot held a valid license and was employed by the operator. No other crew were on board.
Accident Sequence
The pilot had just completed a water drop on the head of the fire. During the recovery from the drop, the aircraft gradually entered a banking attitude that increased until the aircraft assumed an inverted position. It then entered a spin and fell to the ground. The wreckage was dispersed over a small area and caught fire.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the most probable cause was the pilot's excessive attention to visually confirming the effectiveness of the water discharge. This may have led to two effects: it allowed the pilot to inadvertently induce a pronounced bank, and it delayed the application of nose-down control input to counteract the nose-up pitching moment that occurs after water release. The combination resulted in the aircraft attaining a nose-high, steep left bank attitude that the pilot could no longer control.