What happened
On October 15, 2003, at approximately 18:15, a Cessna T-188-C, registration EC-ENC, was performing aerial spraying operations over a cotton field in Salteras, Seville. The aircraft was executing a flight pattern designed to cover a rectangular plot of land. A high-voltage power line ran nearly perpendicular to the long axis of the field, positioned close to one of its edges.
During the penultimate pass of the mission, the pilot flew in a northwest direction, passing under the power lines. After completing the pass, the pilot executed a 180-degree turn to align for the final pass toward the southeast. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck two high-voltage cables. One cable impacted the left wing and the propeller, causing the engine to stop before the propeller blades were damaged. The second cable struck the right wing and the cockpit-mounted wire cutter, which successfully severed the line.
Following the impact, the aircraft continued flying for approximately 500 meters, driven by remaining kinetic energy, before descending into a field. The impact with the ground caused the left main landing gear to detach and significant damage to the airframe. The pilot sustained serious injuries to the spine and ribs and was hospitalized.