What happened
On September 16, 2018, at approximately 14:50 UTC, a Zlín Z-3elog MF, registration OK-SEN, was taxiing on the grass apron at Zábřeh airport (LKZA) to perform a glider tow operation. During the taxi, the pilot became distracted by a radio communication regarding a missing tow rope. Seeking to verify if a rope was stored in the aircraft's baggage compartment, the pilot turned backward while the aircraft was still in motion, unfastening a shoulder strap to check the area for approximately 10 to 12 seconds.
As a result of this loss of situational awareness, the pilot failed to notice that the aircraft's path was directed toward a parked TL-2000 Sting, registration OK-KUA 06. The rotating propeller of the Zlín Z-326 MF struck the right wing of the stationary ultralight aircraft. The impact caused significant damage to the trailing edge and flaps of the TL-2000 Sting's right wing, spanning approximately 2.65 meters. The pilot of the Zlín Z-326 MF applied brakes and shut down the engine immediately after the collision. No injuries were reported.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation established that the pilot was fully qualified and the aircraft was airworthy. The investigation focused on the pilot's actions during the taxi phase. It was determined that the pilot's attention was diverted by a secondary task—checking for the tow rope—which led to a failure to maintain adequate lookout. The pilot also noted that the position of the parked ultralight was not apparent from the cockpit due to the engine cowling obstructing the view during pre-taxi positioning.
Findings
- The pilot diverted attention from safe taxiing to an unrelated task (checking for the tow rope).
- The pilot failed to maintain a proper lookout for obstacles in the direction of travel.
- The pilot's inattention during taxiing due to performing an inappropriate action instead of maintaining required vigilance was the cause of the accident.
- The aircraft's path was not corrected in time to avoid the collision with the parked TL-2000 Sting.