What happened
On December 7, 2003, at approximately 16:25 UTC, a Cosmos Chronos 16 ultralight aircraft, registration CS-UFX, crashed into the roof of an unoccupied house in Trutas, Marinha Grande. The flight had departed from Leiria's José Ferrinho Aerodrome at 15:00 UTC for a recreational flight. After takeoff, the pilot flew toward his residence in Trutas, performing low-altitude maneuvers near his home. During these maneuvers, the aircraft entered a right-hand turn that led to a loss of control, causing it to strike the roof of a house with extreme violence. The impact caused significant damage to the building's structure and resulted in the two fatalities of the occupants on board.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation examined the wreckage, the pilot's records, and the aircraft's technical state. Investigators reconstructed the wing structure and analyzed the landing gear, finding that the impact forces caused severe fractures in the tubular structure and the tricycle gear. The engine, a Rotax 503, was found to be in good working condition with no evidence of mechanical failure. However, the investigation revealed that the aircraft's takeoff mass was approximately 40 kg above its maximum allowable limit of 325 kg. Furthermore, medical examinations of the occupants revealed high blood alcohol levels, with the pilot measuring 1.45 g/l and the passenger 1.96 g/l.
Findings
- Loss of control due to improper maneuvering and inadequate airspeed management.
- The aircraft was operating significantly overweight, exceeding its maximum takeoff mass.
- The pilot was flying at an altitude below the legal minimum requirements for overflying populated areas.
- The pilot had a very low number of recent flight hours and lacked the specific endorsement to carry passengers.
- Both the pilot and the passenger were operating under the influence of high levels of alcohol.