Factual Information
On 7 May 2022 at 11:50 UTC (13:50 local time), an ultralight aircraft of type Maja, registration Z3-UA-002, was conducting a training flight at Sport Airport Logovardi (LW74), Bitola. The aircraft was operated by Aero Club Mirko Todorovski Bitola. On board were the instructor and a student pilot. There were no injuries.
Sequence of Events
After pre-flight preparation and engine checks, the aircraft began its takeoff roll on runway direction 17. The wind was from the south at up to 20 km/h (5.5 m/s). Shortly after takeoff, at a height of 2–3 meters, the aircraft banked slightly left and turned left with an increasing angle of attack. The instructor warned the student to release the controls so that he could correct the angle of attack to a normal climb attitude. However, due to the student firmly holding the control stick, the instructor could not reduce the angle of attack. He was only able to apply right rudder without simultaneous control stick correction. The aircraft then returned to the runway heading, lost lift, turned right with the left wing lifting and the nose dropping. It struck the ground first with the right wing tip, then with the propeller and nose gear, and came to rest in a normal horizontal position, turned 280° from the takeoff direction.
Aircraft and Personnel
The aircraft, a two-seat, single-engine ultralight with a fixed tricycle landing gear, had a composite fuselage and a wooden wing covered with fabric. It was manufactured by M. Rakusan, Czech Republic (serial number 017) and had a total of 370 flight hours (70 hours on the replaced engine). The engine was a Rotax 582, and the propeller was a FITI-FUN. The instructor held a valid UPL license with 500 hours on ultralights and a total of 1500 hours in general aviation. The student was in the first phase of training with 7.4 flight hours.
Meteorological Conditions
Logovardi Airfield has no meteorological station. According to participants, the windsock indicated a southern wind of 170° at up to 5 m/s. The weather was clear with visibility over 10 km.
Damage
The aircraft sustained serious damage to the nose section (propeller and engine), the right wing, and the fuselage behind the cockpit. The propeller was completely destroyed, with one blade broken and the other two delaminated. The engine cowling was broken and separated. The engine was shifted downward and to the right. The nose gear was bent to the right. The right wing had a broken spar and deformed ribs. The runway surface had minor damage from the wing and nose gear impact, and the propeller had created a shallow indentation 15 cm deep and 40 cm long. No fire occurred.
Probable Cause
Loss of lift due to stall immediately after takeoff. Contributing factors: The student pilot's firm grip on the controls prevented the instructor from correcting the aircraft's attitude.