What happened
On April 8, 2017, an Aveko VL-3A Sprint, identified as 57-AVB, departed from runway 05 at the Dieuze Guｪblange aerodrome for a local flight. The aircraft, operated privately, was carrying the pilot and one passenger. After completing an initial circuit and a touch-and-go maneuver, the pilot initiated a turn. During this maneuver, the aircraft entered a nose-down attitude and subsequently entered two spins. The aircraft then collided with a field approximately one kilometer southwest of the aerodrome, where a post-impact fire destroyed the wreckage. The accident resulted in two fatalities.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the wreckage and the circumstances surrounding the flight. The aircraft remained largely intact upon impact, though it was destroyed by fire. Investigators noted that the aircraft's flaps were in the fully extended position at the time of impact. While the engine was functional and the propeller was rotating, the energy at impact was low, and the aircraft's nose struck the ground first while the wings remained parallel to the terrain. Mechanical examinations of the Aveko VL-3A Sprint revealed no malfunctions that contributed to the accident.
Regarding the crew, the pilot was an experienced ultralight pilot with approximately 500 hours on this specific model. The passenger was a student pilot with roughly 30 hours of total flight time. An autopsy of the pilot revealed the presence of coronary artery disease with unstable lesions, a condition that was unknown to his family.
Findings
- The exact cause of the loss of control could not be definitively determined, though investigators noted that an asymmetric stall during the turn may have triggered the spin.
- The altitude at which the loss of control occurred was insufficient to allow for recovery before ground impact.
- While it was not established that the pilot's coronary artery disease caused the initial loss of control, the stress of the event may have caused the unstable lesions to aggravate, potentially compromising the pilot's ability to manage the aircraft.