What happened
On July 25, 1998, at approximately 14:50 local time, a serious air safety incident occurred near Kuopio Airport, Finland. A Finnish Air Force F/A-18C Hornet, registration HN-413 (callsign U-40), was conducting a navigation flight from Tampere via Oulu and Kuopio back to Tampere. Simultaneously, a Cessna TU206G, registration OH-JLK, operated by the Jyväskylä Aero Club, was performing a parachute drop for the SM Championship competition.
While the Hornet was flying in a continuous descent, it passed through the altitudes of both the Cessna and the first two parachutists who had just exited the aircraft. The lateral separation between the Hornet and the aircraft/parachutists was approximately 800 meters, which significantly violated international safety separation standards. The pilot of the Hornet observed the parachute aircraft and the jumpers during the encounter.
The investigation
The investigation examined radar data from the Kuopio Approach radar (TAR) to determine the flight paths, altitudes, and lateral separation of the aircraft before they entered a radar blind spot. While secondary surveillance radar (MSSR) data from Tampere was unavailable due to the aircraft being in a coverage gap, investigators utilized the Head-Up Display (HUD) video recordings from the Hornet to reconstruct the actual flight path and the pilot's evasive maneuvers.
Investigators also analyzed the memory unit (MU) from the Hornet's onboard computer to simulate the event in 3D. Radio communications between the Kuopio Tower, the approach controller, and the aircraft were reviewed, including telephone conversations between the Hornet pilot and the tower prior to the event.