What happened
On September 4, 2022, a Flight Design CT SW ultralight aircraft was conducting a recreational flight near Dinslaken, Germany. The pilot and a passenger intended to fly over the Duisburg football stadium and a nearby circus to take photographs.
At approximately 14:50 local time, while flying at an altitude estimated by witnesses to be between 30 and 50 meters above the ground, the aircraft entered a left-hand turn over the area of a circus tent. During this maneuver, the aircraft's airspeed decreased, causing the nose to pitch up and the aircraft to stall over the left wing. The aircraft subsequently struck several unoccupied parked cars in a former freight yard, triggering a significant fire. The impact and subsequent blaze resulted in the two fatalities of the pilot and passenger, and the total destruction of the aircraft. The crash also caused damage to eight parked vehicles.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance history, the pilot's experience, and the flight conditions. The aircraft had undergone its annual inspection shortly before the accident. Investigators reviewed video footage from witnesses, which captured the sequence of the stall and impact. The investigation also looked into the aircraft's equipment, noting the presence of an unlisted autopilot system, and reviewed the regulatory requirements regarding such installations in ultralight aircraft.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced an aerodynamic stall during a low-altitude turn.
- The pilot was performing maneuvers at an extremely low altitude, significantly below the 150-meter minimum required by SERA regulations for flight over non-congested areas.
- The aircraft was equipped with an autopilot system that was not listed in the equipment list and was technically not permitted under current inspection regulations for this class of ultralight aircraft.
- The high energy of the impact and the intensity of the resulting fire rendered the accident unsurvivable.