C1/2005L Ultra-light aircraft accident at Vammala Ylistenjärvi on January 6 2005

On January 6, 2005, at 11.25 local time, there was an accident at Vammala, lake Ylistenjärvi, when an ultra-light aircraft HybredR 503, manufactured by Medway Microlights Ltd crashed into ice of the lake. In its decision C 1/2005L, the Accident Investigation Board Finland decided to conduct an investigation into the accident. Investigator Tapani Vänttinen was nominated as investigator- in-charge and investigator Toni Mäkelä as a member of the investigation commission.

The pilot had performed taxiing for practising purposes with his own, ski-equipped aircraft earlier on a field near his house. After determining that the field is too small for practising, he then continued the practice on the frozen lake. In addition, his purpose was to perform take-offs and landings, where the aircraft would be airborne for a short period of time. The pilot made first two large oval-shaped circles on the lake. At the end of the second circle, the aircraft took off and climbed at a quite steep angle. Due to the sudden increase in the vertical speed, the pilot lost the control of the aircraft. The rapid climb and detoriated visibility resulted the pilot to suddenly reducing the throttle to idle. As a result, the aircraft stalled, the pilot lost the ultimate control and the aircraft crashed. The pilot sustained serious injuries.

The aircraft had climbed up to 10-30 meters height and travelled 300 meters before it crashed at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. The aircraft was tilted to the right approximately 30 degrees. The location of the crash-site were 61° 15´ 16" N and 22° 55´ 46" E. and the elevation was 89 meters above the mean sea level. The ultra-light aircraft sustained major damages.

The cause of the accident was the pilot's decision to practise taxiing and short flights without training in the weather conditions which were clearly below minimum requirements.

The investigation commission presented no safety recommendations.

C1/2005L Report (pdf, 0.67 Mt)