What happened
On January 31, 2023, at approximately 21:15 UTC, a Piper PA-25, registration LV-CVU, was engaged in agricultural spraying operations near Achiras, in the Río Cuarto Department of Córdoba. The aircraft was performing aerial application tasks between Río Cuarto and Estindher.
During the mission, the aircraft completed a second pass over the target area. While executing maneuvers, the aircraft struck an electrical power line distribution network, which subsequently caused the plane to impact the ground. The flight duration was recorded at one hour.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight path and the circumstances surrounding the contact with the electrical infrastructure. The JST examined the sequence of the aerial application maneuvers and the presence of the power lines in the flight path during the second pass. The investigation confirmed that the impact with the terrain occurred immediately following the collision with the electrical wires.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the collision with an electrical power line during low-altitude agricultural maneuvers.
- The aircraft sustained significant damage as a result of the impact with both the wires and the ground.
- The flight was operating in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) at the time of the event.
- The incident resulted in one minor injury to a member of the crew, with no fatalities reported.