History of the Flight
On 24 June 2012, the pilot rented the Ikarus C42B aircraft, registered YR-5211, from the Romanian Aeroclub for a recreational flight between Șiria (Arad County) and Ineu-Criș (Bihor County). The pilot departed from Șiria at 15:26 LT and landed at Ineu-Criș at 16:22 LT. After a stay until approximately 18:15 LT, the pilot departed for the return flight to Șiria.
At 19:05 LT, the pilot communicated via radio with the flight coordinator at the Șiria airfield, stating that he was flying over Pâncota, about 9 km from Șiria, and expected to land in 10 minutes. Approximately two minutes later, personnel at the Șiria airfield observed the aircraft flying on a north-south direction, parallel to the hills east of the locality, over the road connecting Pâncota and Păuliș via Șiria. The aircraft was in a continuous descent toward the football field in the center of the locality. It then executed a left turn while in a climb, facing the hill, likely attempting to fly over the area, which was hosting public celebrations. During this descending trajectory, the pilot lost control and the aircraft struck the roof of a house under construction, penetrating through it and stopping in the resistance beams of the last floor. The impact totally destroyed the aircraft, and the pilot died.
Additional Information
Pilot Information: The pilot was a 43-year-old male holding a valid ULM pilot license. His medical certificate was valid. His recorded flight experience was 207 hours and 34 minutes as of 20 February 2012.
Aircraft Information: The aircraft was an Ikarus C42B, serial number 0811-701, manufactured by Comco Ikarus Gerätebau GmbH. It was powered by a Rotax 912 ULS engine and equipped with a three-blade Kiev propeller. The registration was YR-5211. Aerobatic maneuvers were prohibited by the flight manual. A video camera mounted on the left wing was recovered; the recording captured most of the flight up to the start of the left turn.
Meteorological Conditions: The weather was clear with visibility exceeding 10 km. During the radio communication, the pilot reported no turbulence and noted that paragliding flights were possible east of Șiria.
Aerodrome Information: The Șiria airfield is classified as land other than certified aerodromes, with a runway oriented north-south (magnetic headings 36/18) measuring 700 m by 50 m.
Analysis
According to the video recording, after the radio call, the aircraft maintained a continuous descent along the road, descending below the hill level to an altitude of approximately 10 m at the football field. At the intersection of roads in Șiria, the aircraft abruptly turned left toward the hill (approximately 090° heading). Witnesses reported a steep climb, a pronounced descent on the left side, an attempt to recover the aircraft, and a return to the initial heading before striking the building under construction.
The investigation commission noted public events at the stadium in Șiria and suggested that the pilot's desire to observe and record these events may have prompted the left turn. Discussions with flight instructors revealed that the pilot did not prefer extreme maneuvers and, in this instance, performed maneuvers for which he was not prepared, potentially leading to loss of control.
Conclusions
Findings from the investigation confirmed that the pilot held a valid ULM license and medical certificate. The left turn at low altitude toward the western side of the hills caused the aircraft to enter a steep climb to avoid colliding with the terrain. The probable cause of the accident was the loss of aircraft control during a maneuver at low-level flight, which did not allow the pilot to recover the aircraft.
No safety recommendations were issued by the investigation commission.