Incident Overview
On June 26, 2024, a fatal accident occurred involving a single-seat light sport aircraft at Sonderlandeplatz Saarmund in Germany. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed upon impact with a grassy area southwest of the runway boundary. No third-party damage was reported.
Aircraft and Pilot Details
The involved aircraft was a SPACEK SD-1 Minisport Bugrad (serial number 215), manufactured in 2020. It featured a tricycle landing gear configuration, a Spacek-Engine SE33 two-cylinder four-stroke engine, and a Helix-Carbon H30F propeller. The aircraft was registered for private use in Germany.
The pilot was a 69-year-old male holding valid licenses for motorized light sport aircraft of the three-axis type. His total flight experience was approximately 220 hours, with about 500 landings. In the four years preceding the accident, he had accumulated roughly 20 hours on this specific model. The pilot’s medical certificate included restrictions requiring regular blood sugar and retinal examinations.
Flight Sequence and Accident Dynamics
According to navigation app data from an onboard iPad, the pilot began his takeoff roll on Runway 27 at 09:02 local time. The aircraft rolled in a direction of 294 degrees and lifted off after a ground roll of approximately 230 meters, reaching a ground speed of about 85 km/h. During the initial climb, the aircraft achieved an altitude of 26 meters above ground level (AGL) at a distance of 650 meters from the runway start, with a vertical speed of roughly 1.7 m/s.
A witness observed the aircraft in what appeared to be a stalled flight condition, noting a dull engine sound. Near the western end of the runway, the aircraft rolled over its left wing and crashed into the grass. The investigation noted that the takeoff was conducted with a tailwind. Calculations indicated that under these conditions, the required takeoff distance to clear a 15-meter obstacle was approximately 460 meters, compared to 382 meters for a headwind start on the opposite runway. The flight manual specified a takeoff speed of 75 km/h and a climb-out speed of 90 km/h, with stall speeds varying based on flap settings and load.