Air Tractor AT-802 EC-GOS Accident at Ibiza Airport

Incident Overview and Flight Details On Tuesday, September 9, 2003, an Air Tractor AT-802 with registration EC-GOS departed Ibiza Airport at 18:41 for a wildfire surveillance flight contracted by the Balearic Islands government. The aircraft returned to the airport at 19:30 and began landing on runway 24. After traveling 80 to 100 meters down the runway, the aircraft began drifting to the right. ## Sequence of Events and Damage To counteract the drift, the pilot applied the left brake, which caused the left tire to burst. The sudden braking and tire failure caused the aircraft to pivot 180 degrees around the left landing gear. The tail assembly lifted off the ground and struck the pavement upon landing, breaking the tail skid structure. The aircraft came to a stop facing the opposite direction of the landing, approximately 850 meters from the runway 24 threshold. The pilot was uninjured and exited the aircraft independently. ## Airport Response and Aftermath Local emergency services, including firefighters, security forces, and an ambulance, responded immediately. The airport remained closed from 19:30 until 20:50, affecting arriving and departing flights. The aircraft was moved 50 meters from the runway edge, and operations resumed after a NOTAM was issued regarding the aircraft's presence in the runway strip. The aircraft was fully removed from the strip at 00:30. ## Aircraft and Pilot Information The 1996 Air Tractor AT-802 (serial number 802-0042) was powered by a single Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67AG engine. The 52-year-old Spanish pilot held a commercial airplane license with 3,965 total flight hours and 315 hours on the type. The aircraft sustained damage to the left landing gear, including a burst tire and a damaged disc from friction, as well as a bent tail skid structure. The runway sustained skid marks from the accident and subsequent recovery. ## Meteorological Conditions and Analysis Pre-landing weather reported by the control tower included a wind direction of 320 degrees, an intensity of 5 knots, and gusts of 15 knots. The investigation concluded that the rightward drift was likely caused by the 15-knot gusts hitting the aircraft nearly perpendicularly from the left. The pilot's application of the left brake to correct the trajectory resulted in the tire burst, which led to the abrupt braking, tail impact, and 180-degree ground rotation.