Accident Overview
A Vulcan Air PA68 Observer 2, registration EC-IPG, departed from Sabadell Airport for a local flight. The aircraft carried an instructor and a pilot undergoing testing for a Class Rating Instructor (CRI) certification. While flying over the town of Sant Pere de Vilamajor, the aircraft descended and crashed within the property boundaries of a private dwelling. Eyewitnesses reported hearing the engine noise cease and observing the aircraft spinning in a nose-down attitude. The front section of the aircraft, including the cockpit, struck the ground first. Impact ignited a fire that affected part of the airplane and a nearby arbor, while the house was exposed to smoke but not directly burned. The two occupants died at the scene; they were trapped in the wreckage and later extracted by emergency personnel. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire.
Investigation
A post-accident inspection revealed no signs of mechanical fault or malfunction in any aircraft components. The investigation determined that the accident resulted from a stall induced by flying at a low speed. Three contributing factors were identified: the low altitude at which the stall occurred, the very likely possibility that the crew had not established pre-flight guidelines for action, and the absence of an authority gradient between the two crew members.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause states: "The accident was caused when the aircraft stalled during the performance of a slow flying maneuver with the right engine stopped." Factors that contributed to the accident were the low altitude, the possibility that the crew did not define the responsibilities of each prior to the flight and which may have resulted in a lack of coordination when faced with the circumstances in the final moments of the flight, and the lack of an authority gradient between the crew members.