What happened
On the night of April 30, 2004, between 21:30 and 22:15 UTC, a serious mid-air incident occurred over the center of Prague. Two aircraft, a L 200 Morava (registration OK-OGA) and a Piper PA 44 (registration OK-MLR), came within a distance of 0.1 NM of each other while flying at an altitude of 2,500 feet near the Poříčí area.
The L 20 and Morava was performing a night VFR flight as part of an approved flight plan to observe a fireworks display celebrating the Czech Republic's entry into the European Union. The pilot had obtained the necessary permissions from the relevant authorities and had informed Prague Radar of this authorization.
Simultaneously, the Piper PA 44 was conducting a night VFR flight on a route involving Radotín, Benešov, and Prague/Točná. While the pilot had requested and received permission from Prague Radar to hold over the city center, the aircraft entered a restricted airspace area defined by AIC A 11/95 without the required authorization from the Civil Aviation Authority (ÚCL) of the Czech Republic. The pilot failed to inform the air traffic controller of this lack of authorization.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation was initiated after an inspector observed the dangerous separation over the crowds watching the fireworks. The investigation utilized radar records and radio communications from the Prague/Ruzyně (LKPR) approach service.
Investigators confirmed that both crews maintained visual contact with surrounding traffic and that both aircraft were technically airworthy. The meteorological conditions were CAVOK with light winds, and neither the weather nor the technical state of the aircraft contributed to the incident. The investigation also established that the pilots held valid licenses and medical certificates.