Spanish pilot dies after his plane hits cables and crashes while fighting forest fire in Chile

Spanish pilot Fernando Solans died on Monday, 15 January, when the light aircraft in which he was fighting a fire in the central region of Maule crashed, according to Chile's National Forestry Corporation (Conaf).

According to the service's executive director, Christian Little, Solans was «chief pilot in Spain» and had «a lot of experience» in the sector. The Valencian worked in Chile during the peak season of forest fires.

According to initial reports, the pilot lost control of the aircraft when it «collided with electrical wiring» and plunged onto the motorway near the city of Talca, some 250 kilometres south of the capital, colliding with two vehicles and causing injuries of varying severity to four people.

The authorities have, however, opened a full investigation to find out the exact cause of the incident, sources explained without adding further details.