What happened
On May 28, 2005, during a public "Children's Day with the Police" event at Znojmo airport (LKZN), a ground accident occurred involving a Zephyr R 582, registration OK-EUY 05.
Following a flight in the local area, the pilot of the Zephyr R 582 landed at the aerodrome. Due to instructions from the AFIS dispatcher to expedite landing to accommodate the arrival of a military Mi-24 helicopter, the pilot taxied toward the edge of the operational area. After shutting down the engine, the pilot exited the aircraft, leaving the cockpit canopy unlocked. The pilot intended to have the aircraft pushed to a different parking area by another pilot shortly thereafter.
As the Mi-24 helicopter moved toward its designated landing spot near the spectators, the pilot of the Zeable R 582 attempted to quickly close and secure the canopy. However, the helicopter landed approximately 30 meters from the stationary aircraft. The resulting rotor wash caused the canopy to lift and tear away from the airframe, resulting in damage to the canopy and the fuselage attachment points. No injuries were reported.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted by a joint commission from the ÚZPLN and the Czech Air Force, established that the aircraft was parked outside the designated parking area. The investigation examined the actions of both pilots, the coordination of the event organizers, and the role of the AFIS dispatcher during the flight demonstrations.
Findings
- The pilot of the Zephyr R 582 parked the aircraft too close to the area where the Mi-24 helicopter was scheduled to land.
- The Mi-24 pilot relied excessively on the assumption that the rotor wash would not affect the nearby light aircraft.
- There was insufficient coordination of flight operations by both the event organizers and the AFIS dispatcher.
- The pilot of the Zephyr R 582 was unable to sufficiently mitigate the aircraft's movement or secure the canopy before the downwash hit the airframe.