What happened
On October 30, 2010, a Moravan Z-42M was conducting a private flight from Bronkow Airfield to the Rackith landing site. The pilot, accompanied by one passenger, had previously contacted a person in the town of Zahna, located approximately 14 km from the planned flight route, stating an intention to perform a circular flight over the area.
At approximately 14:45, witnesses observed the aircraft flying at a low altitude, performing left-hand turns over the town with bank angles ranging between 30° and 60°. During the second turn, the left wing suddenly dropped, sending the aircraft into a steep dive. The aircraft struck a paved courtyard of a commercial property in the center of Zahna and immediately caught fire.
Two fatalities occurred among the occupants due to polytrauma. The impact and subsequent fire caused fuel to leak into the adjacent street's sewage system, triggering an explosion in the underground infrastructure. The force of the explosion launched two manhole covers into the air, causing one serious injury and one minor injury to pedestrians in the vicinity.
The investigation
The BFU examined the wreckage and the flight parameters leading to the impact. Microscopic analysis of the airspeed indicator revealed that the aircraft was traveling at approximately 140 km/ $ ext{h}$ at the moment of impact. The investigation confirmed the aircraft was in an airworthy condition prior to the accident. The wreckage showed significant damage to the engine, cabin, and wings, with the propeller having been torn from the engine and found 17.7 meters from the main wreckage.
Findings
- The aircraft was performing low-altitude maneuvering over a populated area.
- The sudden loss of control was characterized by a steep nose-down dive following a wing drop during a turn.
- The crash resulted in a secondary explosion due to fuel leakage into the municipal sewer system.