What happened
On June 16, 2018, at approximately 15:05 local time, a Piper 25-260, registration HK-5250, was performing agricultural spraying operations in Trinidad, Casanare. The aircraft was executing its fifth pass over a rice field when the pilot, attempting to satisfy a request from the landowner to lower the application height, descended below the established minimum safety altitude of three meters.
During this low-altitude maneuver, the aircraft's landing gear made contact with the vegetation. The pilot attempted to climb, but the main landing gear became entangled in the rice crop. This entanglement caused a sudden loss of airspeed and lift, leading the aircraft to pitch forward and capsize, ultimately coming to rest in an inverted position with the cockpit submerged in mud. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft uninjured.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation examined the operational circumstances, the pilot's experience, and the mechanical state of the aircraft. Investigators found that the aircraft was airworthy and had recently undergone its 50-hour maintenance service. The investigation also focused on the environmental and human factors, including the pilot's flight hours, the duration of the workday, and the communication protocols between the field operations and the company's main base.
Findings
- The pilot had limited experience in agricultural aviation, with only 50 hours of specialized spraying experience.
- The pilot's error in judgment and loss of situational awareness led to flying below the required safety altitude.
- Fatigue was a contributing factor, as the pilot had been on duty since 06:30 and had endured a five-hour wait for favorable wind conditions before beginning work.
- There was a lack of effective communication and oversight between the remote operating site and the company's main base.
- The aircraft sustained significant structural damage, including damage to the wing spar, landing gear supports, and vertical stabilizer, along with an engine stoppage.