Accident Details
On June 16, 2018, at approximately 15:00 local time, a Piper PA-25-260, registration HK-5250, operated by Aviatec S.A.S., experienced an accident while performing agricultural spraying operations. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, including engine separation from its mount, deformation of the empennage, wings, and propeller blades, and a sudden engine stoppage. The pilot was uninjured and evacuated the aircraft unaided. No third-party damage occurred.
Flight History
The aircraft was scheduled for fumigation on June 15, 2018. On June 16 at 07:00 local time, the pilot departed from Trinidad’s airstrip to Carupana airstrip in Pore, Casanare, 56 kilometers northwest. Due to unfavorable wind conditions, spraying was delayed until approximately 12:00 local time. The first lot of 30 hectares was sprayed in two flights, concluding at 13:15. At 14:00, the pilot began working on a second 28-hectare lot, planned in two 14-hectare flights. While executing the second flight at around 15:00, on an inbound heading of 040°, the pilot opened the spray nozzles and experienced instability from wind. After stabilizing the aircraft, he heard a noise and visually confirmed the wings were contacting the crop. He pulled the control stick to climb, but the aircraft did not respond because the main landing gear had become entangled in vegetation. The pilot attempted to climb with both hands, but the aircraft lost speed and lift; the landing gear dug into the terrain, causing the aircraft to pitch forward and invert, coming to rest upside down. The cockpit submerged in mud; the pilot opened the door by force and exited, walking to a nearby road where a farm resident assisted him. Company personnel arrived 45 minutes later and evacuated the pilot for medical examination, which found no injuries.
Pilot Information
The 23-year-old pilot held a valid license and medical certificate. He had a total of 304 hours of flight time, with 61 hours on the PA-25-260. His most recent checkride on the aircraft was on April 12, 2018. In the previous 90 days, he had flown 52 hours; in the last 30 days, 30 hours; and in the last 24 hours, 2 hours 10 minutes.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft suffered major structural damage: deformation of wing spars, landing gear supports, and vertical stabilizer; propeller blade tip deformation; and engine separation from its mount. The engine experienced a sudden stoppage.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the probable cause was the pilot’s limited experience and error of judgment, resulting in loss of situational awareness by flying the aircraft at too low an altitude, causing the landing gear to entangle in the crop and leading to the accident.