What happened
On October 14, 2025, at 14:21 UTC, an Ayres S2R-T34, registration LV-GVV, was conducting specialized agricultural spraying operations near San Martín, Mendoza. The aircraft had departed from the Aerotec Rivadavia airfield approximately twenty minutes earlier as part of an annual campaign to control the grapevine moth (*Lobesia botrana*).
While performing a spraying pass in a rural area roughly 8 km north of San Martín, the pilot flying in a north-south direction experienced an impact. The aircraft had made contact with an electrical power line. Following the strike, the pilot terminated the mission and returned to the base airfield to conduct a ground inspection.
The investigation
A desk investigation was conducted to assess the impact of the contact. Upon the aircraft's return to the Aerotec facility, maintenance personnel performed a preliminary inspection of the airframe and components. The inspection revealed damage to all three propeller blades and visible marks on the right wing, both of which were consistent with the impact with the electrical cable.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was contact with an electrical power line during low-altitude maneuvering.
- The aircraft sustained minor damage, specifically to the propeller assembly and the right wing surface.
- Maintenance crews replaced the propeller assembly and the affected components of the aerial application system.
- No additional structural damage or failures in other aircraft systems were identified during the technical inspection, and the aircraft was subsequently returned to service.