Cascais

On April 17th, at 11:04 UTC, the aircraft turboprop Piper PA-31 Cheyenne II, registration HBLTI, private property, took off from runway 17 of the Cascais aerodrome (LPCS) bound to Marseille airport (LFML), IFR private flight, with 1 pilot and 3 passengers on board. According to several eyewitness testimonies, after takeoff, the Swiss twin-engine started to put the left wing down and consequently to turn left while climbing slowly to about 300’ feet of altitude. The left bank1 increased and the speed decreased leading the aircraft to stall. The aircraft entered a steep dive and impacted the ground next to a logistics dock of a local supermarket, located southeast of the airfield. The crash occurred 700 m from the end of the departure runway. Following the impact, the aircraft exploded and caught fire affecting a logistic dock, a house and a truck. The aircraft was destroyed by impact force and the post-collision fire, all the four occupants were killed. The driver of the truck affected by the explosion of the plane was also killed. The fuselage, wings, the engines and propellers were severely damaged by the impact force and post-impact fuel-fed fire. The structural damage to the aircraft was consistent with the application of extensive structural loads during the impact sequence, and the effects of the subsequent fire. No pre-crash structural defects were found. All aircraft parts and control surfaces were located at the site. The flaps and the landing gear were found retracted at the time of impact.

The twin engine aircraft departed Madrid-Cuatro Vientos Airport on a private flight to Cascais, Portugal, carrying three passengers and one pilot. One of the reasons for the flight was to repair the weather radar at a Portuguese maintenance center that specialized in this equipment. The pilot had to delay the takeoff until 1557LT due to bad weather conditions. The aerodrome of Cuatros Vietnos was in instrument conditions (IMC), which forced its closing from 0900LT until 1444LT. At 1615LT, the aircraft was en route, climbing from flight level 190 to its authorized cruise level of 210. Moments later, according to a detailed analysis of the data taken from the radar, there was a yaw to the left, and the aircraft started to turn in this direction and suddenly lose altitude. After this event, the airspeed fell quickly and gradually until the aircraft stalled. The aircraft went into a spin, which after some time turned into a flat spin. As the airplane descended out of control, and with the spin fully developped, loads were placed on the horizontal tail that exceeded the design loads, causing the tail to break up in flight into five parts before the aircraft impacted the ground. The aircraft was completely destroyed by the impact and sibsequent fire, and its four occupants were killed in the accident.

The aircraft departed Evora Airport in the afternoon for a local flight with two skydivers, one photographer and a pilot on board. Few minutes after take off, the photographer output a weapon and ordered both skydivers to jump. After they left the cabin, the photographer then threatened the pilot and ordered him to divert to Cascais-Tires Airport. After landing, the aircraft veered off runway, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a grassy area near the apron. The pilot was able to escape while the photographer shot himself and died. Aircraft was damaged beyond repair, both wings being partially sheared off.

En route from Cascais to Portimão, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions when the airplane lost height and crashed on a hill located in Serra de Monchique. All four occupants were rescued.

The single engine aircraft was performing a special flight from Cascais to Madrid with one pilot and one passenger on board. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft encountered problems to gain height, hit trees and crashed. While the pilot was slightly injured, the passenger was killed. The Spanish civil war started three days earlier and the passenger, General José Sanjurjo Sacanell, was flying to Madrid to take the lead of the insurrection.
Crew:
Juan Ansaldo, pilot.
Passenger:
General José Sanjurjo Sacanell. †

The seaplane crashed in unknown circumstances in the sea off Cascais, killing both crew members.