2010 Piper PA-36-300 Agricultural Spraying Accident

Flight and Accident Sequence On April 19, 2010, at 14:30 UTC, a Piper PA-36-300 took off from Jaramillo runway carrying 125 gallons of agricultural oil for spraying operations at Hacienda Santa Marta, located 12 minutes from the departure point. The aircraft was refueled with 40 gallons of fuel, 20 gallons in each wing. At 14:46 UTC, after completing the first pass over the plantation from south to north, the pilot initiated a right turn. At 69 degrees, the pilot began a left turn to face the plantation for a second pass. The aircraft lost lift and crashed into the treetops of a hillside adjacent to the plantation, at an elevation of 85.3 meters above the plantation.