Accident Overview
On 21 October 2006, a four-seat, twin-engine Diamond DA 42 aircraft, registration LY-BHG, departed from Vilnius International Airport at 15:31 local time for a flight along the route Vilnius–Paluknis–Pociūnai–Vilnius, with the final destination being Vilnius. The pilot held a commercial pilot license and was a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania. The aircraft was owned and operated by UAB "Reklamos ekspertai".
At 15:57, after establishing radio communication with the Pociunai Aerodrome on 125.0 MHz, the pilot was directed by the tow vehicle operator to land on the asphalt runway with a magnetic course of 220°. At that time, two training gliders, L-13 "Blanik" and SZD-50-3 "Puchacz", were being towed by a winch vehicle at the aerodrome. The winch vehicle was positioned behind the asphalt runway, and the tow cable trajectory intersected the extended centerline of runway 220°, about 80 meters from the runway end.
The pilot executed an approach from the northeast, turned onto final approach, and landed on runway 220°. As the aircraft touched down and rolled on the first part of the runway, the pilot increased engine power and initiated a takeoff. Approximately 34 seconds after the glider launch began, the glider released at 400 meters altitude, and the winch operator started retracting the falling tow cable. After a further 22 seconds, the climbing aircraft collided with the cable at an altitude of 35-40 meters. The steel cable severed the right wing, causing a fire; the aircraft then descended, rotating to the right, and struck the ground outside the aerodrome, 264 meters from the runway 220° threshold. The accident occurred at approximately 16:01.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was completely destroyed by impact forces and the subsequent fire. No third-party damage was reported.
Pilot Information
The 45-year-old pilot held a valid Commercial Pilot License (CPL) valid until 5 March 2008, and a valid medical certificate until 4 March 2007. His total flight experience was 619.35 hours, including 173.24 hours on the DA 42. He had flown 62.25 hours in the last 90 days and 6.50 hours in the last 7 days. He was qualified for single-engine and multi-engine piston landplanes, radio communication in Lithuanian and English, and instrument flight.
Aircraft Information
The Diamond DA 42, serial number 42-117, was manufactured in 2006. It was equipped with two Thielert TAE 125-1 engines and two MT-Propeller MTV-6-A-C-F propellers. The aircraft had accumulated 179.23 total flight hours, with 70.13 hours since the last periodic inspection. The Certificate of Airworthiness was valid until 27 March 2007.
Meteorological Conditions
No on-site weather observations were recorded at Pociunai Aerodrome. Observations from nearby stations: at Kaunas (15:50 local time) – 2 octas Cirrus, visibility more than 10 km, surface wind 180° at 3 m/s, temperature 12°C; at Varėna (15:00 local time) – clear sky, visibility more than 10 km, surface wind 230° at 5 m/s, temperature 13°C.
Communication and Services
The pilot communicated with the tow vehicle operator, who was not trained to provide air traffic services. No Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) officer had been appointed, and radio communications were conducted on 125.0 MHz, a frequency not specified in the aerodrome's flight instructions. The aerodrome's flight instructions stated that radio communication was not mandatory, a provision that contradicted requirements for Class G airspace within an air traffic information zone.
Aerodrome Information
Pociunai Aerodrome is located 7 km east of Prienai, at an elevation of 197 feet (60 m) above mean sea level. It features two grass runways (180°/360° and 090°/270°) and one asphalt runway (040°/220°, 667 m x 18 m). The aerodrome's airspace vertical limits are from the surface to flight level 95. The aerodrome's flight instructions called for an AFIS, but the procedures for appointing an AFIS officer and coordinating multiple users were unclear and contradictory.
Flight Recorders
The aircraft was not equipped with flight data or cockpit voice recorders. A digital voice recorder integrated into the audio panel could be used to review communications.