What happened
On 08 August 2018, an Ayres S2/R T34 Turbo Thrush, registered F-GOKZ, crashed in a field near Diatar, Mauritania. The aircraft was performing an aerial spraying mission for a contract involving the treatment of rice crops with avicide.
The pilot departed from Podor aerodrome in Senegal at 05:40 local time. The flight was conducted at night to ensure the chemical treatment was applied while birds were asleep, with the intention of returning to the aerodrome during daylight hours. Approximately ten minutes after takeoff, the aircraft collided with the ground. The impact occurred in an uninhabited agricultural area, and the aircraft was destroyed. The pilot was fatally injured in the accident.
The investigation
The investigation was led by the BEA with the participation of Mauritanian and Senegalese authorities. Investigators examined the wreckage, which was dispersed over a 1,700 m² area. While a detailed engine examination was limited due to the hazardous nature of the spray product at the site, evidence from the propeller indicated the engine was operating at the time of impact.
Data from the onboard GNSS receiver allowed investigators to reconstruct the flight path up to eight minutes after takeoff. The analysis showed the aircraft had established a cruising altitude of 380 m and was traveling at approximately 200 km/h. However, the final minutes of flight data were unavailable. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's credentials, the aircraft's maintenance history, and the regulatory framework regarding the transport of dangerous goods during agricultural operations.
Findings
Analysis of the wreckage orientation and ground scars suggests the pilot was flying in a direction opposite to the intended mission route, heading back toward the Podor aerodrome. The investigation considered that the pilot may have aborted the mission due to a technical failure.
Because the flight was conducted in near-total darkness over an area with very few visual references, the pilot likely collided with the ground due to a lack of situational awareness. The investigation could not rule out the possibility that the pilot experienced spatial disorientation, leading to an unintentional reverse course and a loss of altitude.