Synopsis
On May 30, 2024, at 07:16 local time, a Piper PA25-235, registration HK1325, was operating an agricultural spraying flight in Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact with trees. The single pilot was the only occupant.
Factual Information
The flight was the second of the day, tasked with spraying a rice field designated Fortuna 3 near the Andorra area. The pilot held a valid license for the operation, and the aircraft was airworthy. Weather conditions at the departure aerodrome and work area were visual meteorological conditions. The pilot had coordinated with Ibagué airport control due to the proximity of the operation to the runway approach path.
Review of GPS data revealed that the pilot did not follow a standard pattern for spraying. The flight paths were irregular, with varying distances and non-standard turns. During the last pattern, the pilot executed an almost 90-degree turn at low altitude. Shortly after, vibrations were felt, and the aircraft struck a tree line bordering the field, after which the pilot lost control.
The pilot had 6,243 hours total flight time but only 14 hours on the Piper PA25-235, and his recent spraying experience was limited to 14 hours since 2021. The operator's flight risk analysis tool (FRAT) was not completed with accurate experience data and lacked specific risk assessment for the spraying fields.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was loss of control in flight and impact against a tree during the final turn for spraying, resulting from an inappropriate steep turn at low altitude and near approach stall speed, which caused the aircraft to stall. Additionally, the pilot failed to conduct a proper FRAT risk analysis during planning, did not identify conditions approaching a stall, and consequently did not apply preventive or corrective measures.
Recommendations
The investigation issued recommendations to the operator (Sanidad Vegetal) to improve risk analysis for agricultural operations, and to the Colombian civil aviation authority to evaluate requirements for risk classification of spraying fields, specific qualifications for Operations Directors in agricultural aviation, and dissemination of the report to operators.