What happened
On April 29, 2023, at approximately 16:01 UTC, a Pioneer 300 aircraft, registration I-8548, crashed in the mountainous terrain of Lusevera, Udine. The aircraft was performing a recreational flight with one pilot and one passenger on board.
Witnesses observed the aircraft flying at a relatively low altitude, following a path through the valley. One observer noted that the aircraft appeared to fly in a straight line before suddenly pitching upward and then abruptly dropping toward the trees. Shortly after the impact, loud noises were heard, and a fire broke out at the crash site. Both occupants of the Pioneer 300 died due to the intense heat and impact of the crash. The aircraft was completely destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation examined the wreckage, the engine, and the pilot's background. The investigation found that the aircraft's engine, a Rotax 912ULS, showed no signs of mechanical failure prior to the impact. However, the propeller governor was found in the "manual" position, a setting intended only for emergencies. This suggests the pilot may have been attempting to manage a transient technical issue, such as a fluctuation in engine RPM, which was noted by a witness.
Investigators also looked into the pilot's experience. While the pilot had extensive military flight experience (over 1,600 hours), his recent experience with ultralight (VDS) aircraft was very limited, with only about five hours of flight on this specific aircraft in the preceding year. The investigation also noted that the aircraft's ballistic parachute was expired, though it was determined that the parachute likely did not deploy because the aircraft was flying at an altitude too low to allow for effective deployment.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident is attributed to a loss of aerodynamic lift, likely resulting in a stall at a low altitude.
- The pilot's attention may have been diverted by a transient technical issue while attempting to use the manual propeller pitch control.
- The extremely low altitude at the time of the stall left no margin for recovery maneuvers or the effective use of the ballistic parachute.
- The pilot's significant military background may have contributed to a lack of recognition regarding the vastly different handling characteristics and lower inertia of an ultralight aircraft compared to military jets.
- The flight path through the valley, while providing a scenic route, necessitated maintaining a low altitude relative to the terrain, increasing the risk during a loss of control.