Factual Information
On 4 September 2021, at approximately 12:20 UTC (14:20 local time), a Cessna 152 aircraft with registration OK-IKC crashed on a field about 1 km north of the village of Žilina u Kladna in the Czech Republic. The aircraft was operated by a legal entity and was participating in the Memoriál Zdeňka Běhounka 2021 navigation competition, organized by AK Kladno. The flight was a competition navigation flight with ground target identification along a planned route.
Circumstances
Before the last checkpoint, while flying east, the aircraft experienced a significant reduction in speed and entered a stall, transitioning into a dive. As the pilot attempted to recover, the aircraft pitched up steeply at an angle of about 50 to 60 degrees while turning north. At the top of the climb, the aircraft lost speed and stalled again, entering a left spin. After about one-quarter of a spin, the nose pointed vertically downward. The aircraft struck the ground at a high vertical speed with a slight right bank, the right edge of the elevator making initial contact. It then rotated through the right wingtip, propeller, and main landing gear, coming to rest approximately 20 meters from the first impact point, facing southwest. A witness reported the accident via the emergency line 158. Police, fire brigade, a coroner, and investigators from the Czech Accident Investigation Institute (ÚZPLN) responded to the scene. The investigation included an on-site examination of the wreckage and the bodies of the occupants.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft, a Cessna 152, was destroyed. Investigators conducted a detailed examination of the wreckage, including the engine and fuel tests. No pre-impact mechanical anomalies were reported.
Injuries
The pilot and the navigator sustained injuries incompatible with life, as stated in the official report.
Probable Cause
The immediate cause of the accident was exceeding the critical angle of attack during a turn at low altitude, which led to a stall. Insufficient altitude to recover from the stall contributed to the accident.