Incident Overview
On July 7, 2022, at 05:40 UTC, a WT 9 600 RG Dynamic ultralight aircraft with registration D-MLXL crashed near the village of Lehota pod Vtáčnikom in Slovakia. The incident occurred during a development flight test conducted by AEROSPOOL spol. s r.o., the operator and manufacturer of the aircraft. The owner was ISS-Aviation GmbH & Co. KG.
Flight Details and Sequence of Events
The flight originated from Prievidza Airport (LZPE). The pilot, a 27-year-old Slovak citizen holding a Sport Pilot Licence, took off at 03:04 UTC for a series of performance tests. After reaching Flight Level 150, the pilot initiated a descent to test the aircraft's handling at 350 km/h with minimum engine thrust.
During this phase, while accelerating between Cigeľ and Lehota pod Vtáčnikom, the pilot reported hearing a strong impact from the rear of the aircraft. Subsequently, unspecified damage occurred to the pitch control system, resulting in a loss of control. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled state that could not be stabilized through manual inputs or trim adjustments.
Emergency Response and Outcome
Recognizing the loss of control, the pilot activated the integrated ballistic parachute system at an altitude of 9,600 ft. The parachute deployed successfully, stabilizing the descent. However, upon impact with the ground, the aircraft overturned onto its back, rendering it inoperable and destroying the airframe.
The pilot was trapped inside the wreckage until ground personnel arrived to extract him. He sustained minor injuries, specifically a head trauma, and was transported to a hospital in Bojnica. No other persons were injured. The investigation was conducted by the Slovak Aviation and Marine Investigation Unit (Letecký a námorný vyšetrovací útvar) under reference number SKA2022008.