What happened
On October 24, 2017, an EV-97 EuroStar SL, registration OK-UUU72, was conducting a VFR flight from Kunovice to Karlovy Vary. The flight, operated by two foreign nationals, proceeded normally until the aircraft reached the Bohdalov area, where weather conditions began to deteriorate significantly. As cloud bases lowered and visibility decreased, the pilot began a series of turns to evaluate the situation.
During the flight, the crew observed a person working with agricultural machinery in a field near Nížkov and decided to attempt a safety landing in that vicinity. While maneuvering in the fog, the aircraft's right wing struck trees, causing the plane to impact a field. The pilot and the co-owner sustained heavy injuries. Witnesses observed the aircraft oscillating from wing to wing before plunging toward the ground.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined flight data from a Garmin 695 GPS, pilot and witness statements, meteorological reports, and the aircraft's weight and balance. Investigators established that the aircraft was flying in a configuration without flaps and was significantly overweight. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's meteorological preparation, noting that while the pilot used the SkyDemon application, he did not consult the METEO LKKU office for updated forecasts regarding the terrain.
Findings
- The aircraft's maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) was exceeded by 84 kg, and the maximum landing weight (MLW) was exceeded by 60 kg.
- The aircraft was flying with a very small margin of airspeed above its stall speed, which, combined with the high weight and low engine power, caused the characteristic wing-to-wing oscillations observed by witnesses.
- The pilot failed to recognize the deteriorating meteorological conditions in time and continued flying into conditions below VFR minimums.
- The primary cause was the underestimation of the orographic weather conditions of the Českomoravská vrchovina region and a flawed decision-making process when entering weather conditions unsuitable for VFR flight.