Sequence of Events
The aircraft, operated by Servicios Agrícolas Aéreos, S.A., had been performing agricultural fumigation over olive groves in the municipalities of Algodonales and Zahara (Cádiz province) for three days prior to the accident, operating from an airstrip on the "Las Casas" farm.
On the day of the accident, the pilot began activity at 8:00 local time, completing three treatment flights totaling 40 minutes. After reloading, he took off at 9:25 for another flight. The treatment area was a steep valley north of road A-382, where the Guadalete River flows. During a pass, the left wing of the aircraft struck a power line cable. The aircraft continued flying, exiting the valley along the river. Shortly after crossing the A-382 road, it entered another valley, turned left, and then crashed into the ground, catching fire.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a Cessna T-188-C, registration EC-ETS. The pilot, aged 43 and of Spanish nationality, held a commercial pilot license issued on 20 August 1992, valid until 3 December 2006. His ratings included Air Tractor SET (valid until 19 June 2005), single-engine piston land (valid until 10 July 2005), flight instructor (valid until 13 June 2006), and agroforestal pilot (not annotated on the license). The agroforestal pilot rating was established by Royal Decree 1684/2000, with a transitional period allowing eligible pilots to apply for annotation.
Damage and Impact
The initial cable strike caused partial tearing of the outer third of the left wing's leading edge and part of the wingtip, along with deformation of the wing (compressed upwards and backwards). The subsequent ground impact resulted in extensive damage to the aircraft, worsened by a post-impact fire. A fence post near the crash site was slightly damaged. The pilot died in the accident.