What happened
On August 1, 2022, at approximately 09:55 UTC, a VT 116 glider, registration OK-7424, was performing a training flight at the Nové Město nad Metují airfield (LKNM). The aircraft was being operated as part of a training program by the local aero club's approved training organization (DTO).
During the landing circuit, the student pilot was executing a 360-degree left turn following the fourth circuit turn. At the instruction of an instructor to adjust altitude for landing, the pilot increased the bank angle. This maneuver led the aircraft into a left spin. Although the pilot managed to level the aircraft at approximately 15 meters above the ground, she entered a second left spin which could not be recovered due to the insufficient altitude. The glider impacted a field of approximately 60 cm tall crops roughly 315 meters southwest of the runway 36 threshold. The student pilot was killed, and the glider was destroyed.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined the pilot's training records, the aircraft's maintenance history, and the operational procedures of the training organization. The investigation reviewed witness statements from instructors and other pilots present at the airfield, as well as video footage from a camera located on a building at the aero club.
Investigators also scrutinized the training organization's documentation, finding discrepancies in the approved list of aircraft and the official designation of training leaders. The investigation noted that the pilot had undergone practical transition training on the VT 116 type, which was not listed in the organization's approved training manual, and that the instructor performing the transition was acting under an unverified authority.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a spin resulting from a 360-degree turn with increasing bank angle performed by an inexperienced student pilot.
- The pilot failed to recover from the second spin due to the low altitude at which it occurred.
- Contributing factors included the pilot's lack of recent experience on the VT 116 type, having had a flight gap of more than 10 months on this specific aircraft.
- The aircraft's handling characteristics, specifically its response to longitudinal control, differed significantly from the L-13A model on which the pilot had performed the majority of her training.
- The training organization lacked standardized oversight, with instructors and students having inconsistent views on training procedures and the use of aircraft not officially listed in the DTO's approved documentation.