What happened
On April 29, 2018, at approximately 10:15 local time, a Rutan VariEze, registered as HB-YCM, was involved in a fatal accident near Innsbruck, Austria. The aircraft, which was being operated for private purposes under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), departed from runway 08 at Innsbruck Airport (LOWI) with the intention of flying to Portorož (LJPZ).
Shortly after the takeoff roll, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude. The plane subsequently crashed into a field located southwest of the airport. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and caused two fatalities, involving both the pilot and the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) initiated an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the loss of control following departure. The investigation focused on the flight path, the aircraft's performance during the initial climb, and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident.