Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-25-260, registered EC-DTY, manufactured in 1968. It was equipped with a Lycoming O-540-G1A5 engine. The operation was classified as general aviation commercial aerial application. The pilot, aged 32, held a commercial pilot license and had accumulated 593 total flight hours. The flight was a solo ferry movement from the temporary airstrip at Obando to another temporary strip at Madrigalejo in the province of Cáceres.
Accident Sequence
The pilot departed Obando at dawn and reported no wind at that time. Upon landing at Madrigalejo, the aircraft made an abrupt, unexplained sharp turn to the left during the landing roll. As a result, it departed the runway on the left side and came to rest in a ditch running parallel to the runway, approximately 8 meters from the runway edge.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained substantial damage: the propeller was severely bent, both wings were damaged, and the right landing gear leg was broken. The pilot was uninjured.
Investigation Findings
The pilot stated that this was his first landing of the day at Madrigalejo, although he had operated at that strip the previous day. Photographs taken at the scene showed bushes on the left side of the runway, close to the edge, with impact marks at a height corresponding to the aircraft's left wingtip.
Conclusion
The investigation concluded that the most probable cause of the incident was the pilot's loss of control, which may have originated from the left wingtip striking the bushes.