What happened
On July 19, 2011, an EV-97 Eurostar, registration OK-GUR 22, was conducting a training flight from Plzeň Líně for a student pilot. During the flight, while maneuvering in the airspace near the village of Osek, the aircraft entered a steep climb. This maneuver caused a significant loss of airspeed, leading the aircraft into an unintentional spin.
Witnesses observed the aircraft performing a climbing turn before it began a rotating motion. Although the instructor managed to recover the spin after approximately one rotation, the aircraft was in a steep descent at too low an altitude to prevent impact. The aircraft struck trees and the ground in a wooded area between Osek and Volduchy. The impact resulted in two fatalities for the crew. The aircraft was completely destroyed.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined the aircraft's condition, the flight parameters, and the crew's experience. Investigators analyzed the wreckage and found no evidence of mechanical failure in the engine or flight control systems. The engine was found to have been running prior to the impact.
Weight and balance calculations revealed that the aircraft was likely overloaded by approximately 8% of its maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) due to the combined weight of the instructor and the student pilot. The investigation also noted that the aircraft was not equipped with any flight data recording devices that could be recovered from the wreckage.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the transition into an unintentional spin resulting from a loss of airspeed during a steep climbing maneuver.
- The instructor was unable to recover the aircraft from the steep descent before it struck the terrain.
- The aircraft was likely operating above its maximum takeoff weight.
- The aircraft's design characteristics allow for an unintentional spin to occur during high-angle climbs, particularly when airspeed is lost.
- The crew's health was not a contributing factor to the accident.