What happened
On May 20, 2023, at approximately 14:30 local time, a training flight ended in an accident at the Lipangui Aerodrome (SCKL) in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. A student pilot was operating a RANS S-14 ultralight motorized vehicle (ULM) performing an instructional flight. While attempting to land on runway 16, the aircraft struck the terrain approximately 800 meters northwest of the threshold for runway 34.
The impact resulted in serious injuries to the pilot. The aircraft sustained extensive damage, including a detached and fractured left wing, structural deformation of the right wing and flight controls, a fractured propeller, and damage to the engine mount and landing gear. The aircraft came to rest in a field near a tree.
The investigation
DGAC Chile investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the pilot's experience. The aircraft, a RANS S-14, had recorded 392.5 total service hours. The most recent maintenance was performed on May 13, 2023, involving a 50-hour inspection and the replacement of fuel hoses, spark plugs, filters, and oil.
Regarding the pilot's experience, the individual was a student pilot with only 1 hour and 36 minutes of total flight time, of which only 30 minutes had been completed on the day of the accident. The investigation also reviewed the fuel supply, noting that the aircraft was using 95-octane automotive gasoline as authorized by the manufacturer. Samples taken from the tank showed no evidence of water or solid contamination.
Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were reported as favorable, with visibility exceeding 10 kilometers, no cloud cover, and calm winds. There were no reports of medical distress or communication issues via the TIBA frequency prior to the impact.