L2023-02 Aviation Accident at Selänpää Aerodrome on July 16, 2023

On Sunday, July 16, 2023, the local flying association continued a tradition of organizing public aviation days at Selänpää aerodrome. The program included demonstration flights and aerobatic displays. Spectators were also given a possibility for joyrides against payment in gliders, a touring motor glider and a helicopter. The aviation day and aerobatic displays had been advertised, and they attracted hundreds of spectators to the aerodrome.

The first item of the aerobatic display was a two-ship sequence that the pilots had practised beforehand. After completion of this sequence, the pilots decided to encore with solo routines. The first of these was the accident flight, during which the pilot intended to impress the crowd by performing high-risk maneuvers and violated the minimum heights quoted in his public display authorization (PDA). He initiated recovery from a flat spin at an insufficient height, and as a result the airplane impacted forested terrain in a steep nose-down attitude and was damaged beyond repair. The pilot sustained fatal injuries.

The flying association had a long tradition of including aerobatic displays on aviation days. More stringent safety requirements are needed for a flying display than for an aviation day. The association had not requested a flying display permission from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. However, it had, as during the previous years, submitted an emergency plan to the local rescue authority, and this plan had indicated that aerobatic aircraft would possibly put up displays during the event. The authority did not recognize the need to refer the association to another competent authority for requesting a flying display permission or other pertinent information.

The pilot held a valid pilot license, a valid aeromedical certificate and a valid PDA. His PDA skill level had been upgraded by two tiers from intermediate direct to unlimited one month prior to the accident, and the minimum aerobatic height had been lowered from 700 to 400 ft. The pilot did not have the skills and ability to handle the airplane safely during the unplanned display, and therefore he did not meet the applicable PDA criteria. His lack of sufficient skills and theoretical knowledge had gone unnoticed during the PDA procedure.

To enhance safety, the Safety Investigation Authority Finland recommends that

• the Ministry of Employment and Economy ensures that event organizers and authorities become aware of the licensing and supervision service.
• the Finnish Transport and Communication Agency Traficom reassesses the procedures for the issuance of a PDA to ensure that display pilots possess adequate theoretical knowledge, skills and safety awareness.