What happened
On November 17, 2022, at approximately 13:00, the pilot arrived at the Vladikavkaz (Gizel) airfield to conduct recreational flights. The aircraft, an A-2FRMS with registration RA-0052G, had been recently moved to the airfield following a purchase made by the pilot in October 2018. The pilot had personally performed the assembly of the aircraft, which had previously been stored in a disassembled state. The intended flight pattern involved visual approaches to the airfield using a magnetic course of 325 degrees. However, the flight was conducted without submitting a flight plan to the Rostov-on-Don Air Traffic Control Center, and no authorization to use the Class C airspace was granted.
The investigation
The investigation revealed that the aircraft's maintenance records were incomplete, with no documented technical service entries following 2017. Furthermore, the pilot performed all pre-flight preparations and assembly independently. While the pilot did not undergo a formal pre-flight medical examination, this was noted as being permissible under specific regulations for airfields lacking medical personnel. The investigation also confirmed that the aircraft was operating in Class C airspace without the necessary permission for flight in controlled airspace.
Findings
- The aircraft RA-0052G was being operated without authorization to use controlled airspace.
- There were no records of maintenance performed on the A-27MS after 2017.
- The flight was conducted without a filed flight plan or coordination with the regional air traffic control authorities.
- The incident resulted in 1 fatality.