B3/2009L Accident at Hyvinkää aerodrome 14 April, 2009

An accident occurred at Hyvinkää aerodrome on Tuesday, 14 April 2009 at approximately 17:15 local time. A Cosmos, Chronos 16 type two-seat weight-shift control microlight aircraft, registration A179, was destroyed in a collision with the ground. The pilot was killed instantly in the crash. On 27 April 2009 Accident Investigation Board Finland appointed investigation commission B3/2009L for this incident. Investigator Kalle Brusi was named Investigator-in-Charge, accompanied by Investigator Olli Borg who served as member of the commission.

The pilot was about to fly his first solo flight at Hyvinkää aerodrome with the type in question. He performed a pre-flight run-up at the beginning of runway 22. Taking off from the halfway point of the runway he climbed at a very steep angle. At the approximate height of 30 m the aircraft stalled, rolled to the left and collided nose first with the taxiway at an almost vertical attitude. The aircraft was totally destroyed in the crash.

The technical examination of the aircraft found no faults which could have caused the accident. Even though the pilot was rated to fly this particular type of aircraft, he had not flown a motorised weight-shift control aircraft since 1989. He had, presumably, no flying experience on the accident aircraft type. Moreover, he had accrued very little flying experience of any kind during the previous ten years. A forensic autopsy established that the pilot’s cause of death was the blunt force trauma suffered in the collision with the ground. The possibility of a fainting episode (syncope) in flight could not be excluded.

The accident was caused by a loss of control resulting from a climb that was too steep. Even though the pilot’s rating was valid, he had no prior experience of flying with weight-shift control microlight aircraft.

The investigation commission recommends that TraFi Aviation update Aviation Regulation OPS M2-9, relating to the operation of gliders. In addition, the investigation commission recommends that TraFi Aviation keep aviation regulations up-to-date and appropriate through continuous and specific quality assurance measures. The investigation commission also recommends that TraFi Aviation, or the Finnish Aeronautical Association, review the proficiency requirements and the training curricula of weight-shift control microlight aircraft pilots so as to improve safety.

B3/2009L Report (pdf, 0.99 Mt)