What happened
On March 4, 2017, at approximately 9:30 a.m., a Piper PA-25-235, registration N-8569L, was performing agricultural spraying operations over a banana plantation in Villa Tapia, Dominican Republic. The aircraft was conducting its third flight of the day when the pilot extended the flight path at a low altitude toward the south of the plantation.
As the pilot executed a left turn toward the east, the aircraft's left wing struck a guy wire belonging to a communications antenna. The impact caused the cable to detach from its ground base and become entangled in the wing, rendering the aircraft uncontrollable. The aircraft subsequently entered a vertical descent, impacting the ground approximately 75 meters east of the antenna. The impact was high-energy, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft and the death of the pilot.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation examined the flight path, the aircraft's mechanical condition, and the environmental factors present at the time of the accident. Investigators noted that the antenna was positioned behind a line of trees relative to the aircraft's flight path. The investigation also reviewed the meteorological conditions and the sun's position in the sky to determine if visibility was compromised.
Findings
- The aircraft was in a valid state of airworthiness, with its last annual inspection completed in October 201 and no reported mechanical malfunctions prior to the event.
- The pilot was performing low-altitude maneuvers required for agricultural spraying.
- Sun glare and degraded visual conditions contributed to the accident, as the sun was positioned at approximately 45 degrees in the sky, which likely prevented the pilot from detecting the antenna cable.
- The placement of the antenna behind trees further obscured the hazard from the pilot's view during the turn.