What happened
On April 30, 2005, during a gliding competition at the Šumperk aerodrome, an SZD-48 Jantar Standard 2 aircraft, registration HA-4494, crashed near the village of Krásné. The flight, which began via aero-tow, followed a planned route involving several landmarks including Dražník and Jestřáb.
During the final stages of the flight, the pilot transitioned into a descending profile through a valley between Kamenný vrch and Trousnice. While maneuvering near the village of Krás and near a local quarry, the pilot executed a left turn of approximately 390 degrees. During this maneuver, the aircraft entered an unusual attitude at a very low altitude. The pilot was unable to recover the aircraft, which struck a local road with its left wing at an angle of 90 to 100 degrees. The impact destroyed the forward section of the aircraft and the pilot was killed.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation utilized data from a Garmin GPS V and a Fuess barograph to reconstruct the flight path. The analysis revealed that while the initial portions of the flight maintained sufficient altitude, the pilot began a steady descent during the flight segments through the valley.
Investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance records, noting that a 100-hour inspection had been completed shortly before the accident. The investigation also included testimony from an eyewitness who observed the glider entering a steep descent with irregular rotation around all three axes. Furthermore, flight instructors were consulted regarding the handling characteristics of the SZD-48 Jantar Standard 2, specifically noting that the type does not provide a warning before a stall occurs.
Findings
- The pilot was medically fit and held valid qualifications.
- The weather conditions were suitable for flight.
- The aircraft had undergone recent maintenance and was in a serviceable state.
- The pilot was insufficiently practiced on this specific aircraft type, having not flown it solo for over eight months.
- The pilot made an incorrect decision to fly a descending profile into the valley given his lack of recent experience on the type.
- The pilot failed to recover the aircraft from an unusual attitude at a critically low altitude.