What happened
On June 2, 2021, a Pipistrel Virus SW100, registration D-MIEW, was conducting a navigational flight from České Budějovice toward Příbram. During the fourth flight of the day, the aircraft encountered turbulence caused by thermal effects. While the pilot was navigating, the passenger, who was also an experienced pilot, experienced a bout of dizziness due to the turbulence and visual contact with cockpit instruments.
To address the medical situation, the pilot decided to perform an immediate landing in a nearby field. The pilot identified a dry field approximately 300 meters northeast of the village of Stěžov and executed a landing heading west. Upon touchdown, the aircraft's nose wheel sank into the soil, causing the nose gear to break. The momentum caused the aircraft to flip onto its back. The aircraft sustained extensive damage, including a broken nose gear, a destroyed two-blade propeller, damage to the engine cowling, and cracks in the composite landing gear covers and canopy.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined the flight history, the medical condition of the passenger, the aircraft's technical state, and the meteorological conditions. The investigation reviewed statements from both the pilot and the passenger, as well as maintenance records and weather reports from the day of the occurrence. Investigators confirmed that the pilot and passenger were both medically fit and held valid licenses. The aircraft was found to be in a technically sound condition with a valid certificate of airworthiness, and the weather conditions were determined not to have been a contributing factor to the accident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's decision to perform an immediate landing in an unsuitable field following the passenger's sudden onset of dizziness.
- The aircraft's nose gear failed after the wheel became embedded in the soft ground during the landing.
- Both occupants were uninjured and exited the aircraft independently.
- The aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder.