What happened
On 20 March 2016, a Laser Z200 aircraft, registration PH-LSR, was involved in a fatal accident near Abbeyshrule, Co. Longford. The pilot had recently acquired the aircraft and was performing a local flight following a trip to the Aran Islands.
After taking off from runway 10, the aircraft completed several circuits of the aerodrome. The flight included a series of touch-and-go landings and various aerobatic maneuvers, such as aileron rolls. During the seventh circuit, while the aircraft was on the downwind leg and performing rolling maneuvers, witnesses observed the aircraft descending rapidly. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground in a near-vertical, nose-low attitude. The impact resulted in 1 fatality and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators from the AAIU examined the wreckage and interviewed several eyewitnesses at the scene. The investigation utilized video data recovered from two damaged GoPro cameras mounted on the aircraft's engine cowling and wing-tip. While the final files on the memory cards were unviewable due to power interruption during impact, the preceding footage captured much of the flight sequence.
Physical examination of the wreckage revealed that the forward section of the aircraft, including the engine and propeller, was located at the primary impact site. Initial evidence from the engine and propeller components suggested that the engine was still producing power at the moment of impact. The investigation also involved reviewing maintenance and airworthiness documentation, some of which required translation from German and Dutch.