Summary
On 14 November 2013, a Cessna 172N aircraft registered YU-DPR departed from Varaždin Airport around 09:00 local time as part of an eight-aircraft formation for a fox vaccination bait-dropping operation over western Slavonia. The aircraft was assigned to the Pakrac and Jablanac area. Approximately halfway through the task, the group leader announced a work interruption and a return to the departure airport. Shortly thereafter, the pilot of another aircraft in the group (YU-DOY) was instructed by the Zagreb Flight Information Center (FIC) to turn back and assist in searching for YU-DPR, which had disappeared from the Croatian Air Navigation Services (HKZP) radar at 10:01:30.
The aircraft and its two occupants—a pilot and a bait-dispensing machine operator—were located later the same day at approximately 14:30 near coordinates N45°22.302'' E17°15.234''. The pilot sustained serious bodily injuries, while the operator sustained minor injuries.
Meteorological Conditions
On the morning of the accident, the western Slavonia region experienced fog or thick haze, and after 11:00, low cloud cover developed. The report states that the weather conditions were adverse for visual flight.
Cause
The underlying cause of the accident was that the aircraft was flown in adverse meteorological conditions, specifically below the prescribed minimums for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was a Cessna 172N, serial number 17273613, owned and operated by STS Avijacija d.o.o. of the Republic of Serbia. The crew consisted of the pilot and the operator of the bait-dispensing machine. No further details on the crew or aircraft are provided in the report.