What happened
On the morning of the accident, a CL-215 operated by Babcock Spain was performing aerial firefighting duties on behalf of the Portuguese Civil Security (Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil). The aircraft was based at Castelo Branco Airport in Portugal and departed the airfield at 08:15 local time alongside another CL-215. The mission involved responding to a fire located in the Lindoso region, situated near the border between Portugal and Spain.
While maneuvering to treat the fire, the aircraft descended to an insufficient altitude and struck the terrain. The impact occurred in a rocky area near Lobios, within Spanish territory. The force of the collision caused the tail section of the plane to separate from the fuselage. The cockpit area was destroyed during the crash.
As a result of the accident, there were one fatality and one injury. The Portuguese co-pilot died at the scene, while the Spanish captain sustained serious injuries and was subsequently transported to a hospital in Alto Minho for medical treatment.
Findings
- The aircraft was flying at an insufficient altitude during its approach to the fire area, leading to the ground impact.