What happened
On October 15, 2003, a Piper Brave PA-36-375, registration EC-FBA, was performing aerial spraying operations near Malagón, Spain. The pilot was engaged in agricultural work to combat the olive fly, flying a pattern that crossed beneath high-voltage power lines. The lines featured spans of approximately 250 to 300 meters, with the lowest point of the cables hanging roughly 8 meters above the ground.
During the fourth flight of the day, the pilot attempted to pass under the electrical lines. As the aircraft crossed, the left wing tip and the vertical stabilizer struck the cables. The impact caused the vertical stabilizer to break away from the airframe. Following the collision, the pilot lost directional control, as the aircraft began a continuous, uncontrolled left turn.
Recognizing the loss of control and the uncertainty of the flight path, the pilot executed an emergency landing in an adjacent field. The aircraft touched down with a significant left yaw angle, causing the landing gear to collapse. The aircraft slid approximately 44 meters on its fuselage and right wing before coming to a stop. The pilot, wearing a protective helmet, exited the aircraft without any injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the impact and the structural failure of the tail section. Investigators examined the aircraft's protective cable, which runs from the cabin roof to the top of the vertical stabilizer. They determined that this cable functioned as intended, absorbing enough energy to prevent the immediate detachment of the stabilizer and rudder, which allowed the pilot enough stability to perform the emergency landing.
Analysis of the left wing tip revealed a broken landing light lens and abrasions on the upper surface, indicating that the electrical cable had also contacted the wing. This suggested that the aircraft was in a slight right bank with the left wing elevated at the moment of the strike.
Findings
- The pilot did not correctly assess the narrow margin of vertical clearance available beneath the power lines.
- The aircraft was in a banked attitude during the crossing, which increased the vertical profile of the aircraft and reduced the effective clearance under the cables.
- The pilot may have become overconfident after successfully completing several previous passes under the lines, leading to a failure to maintain sufficient altitude and proper attitude during the critical crossing.