Accident
On a Sunday in August, two twin-engine Let L-410 aircraft operated by the same company were performing a skydiving mission. The aircraft, registered OM-ODQ and OM-SAB, each carried 17 skydivers and two pilots. Both crews were preparing a program for an airshow scheduled for the following Sunday.
While climbing to an altitude of approximately 1,400 to 1,500 metres, the pilot of OM-ODQ attempted to get closer to OM-SAB when the two aircraft collided. All but three skydivers were able to bail out before both aircraft crashed in a wooded area north of the airfield. The collision resulted in the deaths of all four crew members and three skydivers: one aboard OM-SAB and two aboard OM-ODQ.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the main cause of the in-flight collision was poor flight management on the part of the OM-ODQ captain. Contributing factors included that the captain of OM-ODQ was using a mobile phone at the time of the collision and that the total weight of OM-ODQ at the time of the accident was above its maximum takeoff weight (MTOW).