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article_detail
Date Published: 17/01/2022
ARCHIVED - Judge finds military criminally responsible for deadly 2019 plane crash in La Manga
Dangerous weather conditions and subpar aircraft maintenance played a part in the Murcia plane crash
A military judge in charge of investigating the tragic death of a pilot after his plane crashed into the Mediterranean off La Manga’s coast has found serious indicators that the Spanish air force could be “directly responsible” for the accident.
Francisco Marín Núñez, an experienced acrobatic pilot, was found dead after his C101 plane crashed into the water off La Manga del Mar Menor in August 2019 and, since then, the military has been accused of criminal negligence.
A report filed by the defence team lists several factors which played a part in the fatal accident, including a lack of safety checks and reviews (especially as the aircraft was over 40 years old), outdated safety equipment and the absence of a radio altimeter system capable of measuring the height of the aircraft above the terrain directly below. They also mention that the plane had no flight data recorder, or black box, on board.
However, the main reason for the accident is said to be the fact that the military allowed the exercise to go ahead in unfavourable, and even dangerous, weather conditions. On the day of the accident, the forecast reported “abundant clouds at 2,000 feet of altitude”, something that the defendants claim could have led the pilot to become spatially disorientated, causing the crash.
The judge has concluded that the meteorological conditions on that day didn’t allow the aerial manoeuvre to be carried out safely and is investigating whether the pilot was informed of said conditions by the air force’s control tower.
Furthermore, the judge has now called another pilot who also flew a C101 plane on the morning of the incident to give an official statement. For now, all signs are pointing towards the courts finding the Spanish military responsible for the accidental death of one of their own pilots.
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