Covering form of preliminary or final report
Back| Date of event: | 2024.11.04 |
|---|---|
| Incident number: | CZ-24-1726 |
| Report: | Final report |
| Place of event: | Štítina |
| Registration mark: | Air accident |
| Weight category MTOM:: | <2250 kg |
| Type of operation: | Recreational and sport aviation |
| Plane / SFM: | Sports flying machine |
| Type of plane / SFM: | ALTO NG |
| Health effects of event: | The fatal injuries |
| PDF document: |
 |
Description:
On 4 November 2024, a pilot of ALTO NG ultralight aircraft performed a VFR flight according to FPL from LKNM to LKMT. After climbing above the cloud cover, he flew with small changes in altitude and asked the FISO for assistance in navigation by providing recommended courses due to possible deterioration of meteorological conditions for a VFR flight. Approximately 60 km from LKMT, the FISO informed the pilot that there were IFR landing conditions at LKMT and it would be better to fly to another airport nearby. The pilot still wanted to fly to LKMT. The FISO informed the pilot that he would try to find out the conditions at the airports near LKMT. After further verification of the information that he could not land at LKMT, the FISO, at the pilot’s request, evaluated LKZA out of the airports near LKMT as the airport with the most suitable conditions for landing of a VFR flight, provided a recommended course, and informed about the minimum safe altitude. The recorded flight data show that in the vicinity of LKZA, the pilot flew into meteorological conditions that did not allow for a visual flight, moreover after the end of civil twilight. He repeatedly manoeuvred through a turn with a descent below the minimum safe altitude and reported zero visibility. The FISO asked the pilot not to descend and provided him with the recommended course in order to achieve visual flight conditions. Nevertheless, the pilot was descending again in a right turn with high vertical speed, probably due to a loss of spatial orientation. The pilot did not use the ballistic rescue system and the UL aircraft crashed into the ground at a steep angle near the village of Štítina. The pilot suffered injuries incompatible with life. The UL aircraft was destroyed.
Witnesses reported the crash of the UL aircraft to the emergency line. A patrol of the Czech District Police Department, Criminal Police and Investigation Service of the Czech Police, FRS, VFB and ERS units arrived at the location of the air accident. They found out at the site that the ballistic rescue system had not been activated. Because of the danger of its possible activation, pyrotechnicians were called to the site, but they subsequently decided to suspend their activity due to poor visibility. They resumed their activity on 5 November 2024 at 8:00. The AAII Commission and the police officers then carried out an inspection of the UL aircraft wreckage.
The cause of the air accident was the loss of control of the UL aircraft in a descending turn to the right and impact with the ground, most likely due to loss of spatial orientation while flying in meteorological conditions for which the pilot was not qualified and the UL aircraft was not certified.
The AAII issues the following safety recommendations:
CZ-2025-0007
The AAII recommends that the Air Traffic Control of the Czech Republic consider supplementing the procedure with rules for the use of unverified public webcams as the only source of meteorological information.
CZ-2025-0008
The ÚZPLN recommends that the Light Aircraft Association of the Czech Republic promote the principles of correct procedure for emergency situations that may arise in VFR flights, e.g. in the form of an article in the Pilot magazine.
Attached final report in PDF file is in original Czech language.