L2012-03 Ultralight Aircraft Accident in Rääkkylä on 11 April 2012

An accident happened on Wednesday, 11 April 2012 at approximately 13:25 on Lake Orivesi in the municipality of Rääkkylä when an Ikarus C42B ultralight aircraft collided with lake ice. The 74 year old pilot and the passenger, also 74 years old, perished in the accident. The crash resulted in a violent fire in which the aircraft was destroyed. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident.

The aircraft, fitted with inflatable floats (pontoons), took off from Kitee airstrip at about noon that day. The intention was to visit the passenger’s summer cottage in the village of Nieminen and to return to Kitee around 14:00 hours. Judging by the tracks on the ice the aircraft had landed near the cottage and the men had walked around on the shore. The tracks also indicated that the aircraft had taken off from the ice.

When the aircraft did not return to Kitee, a family member of the pilot called the Emergency Response Centre at 18:00 and reported the missing aircraft. The remains of the aircraft were discovered in a search operation at around 20:00 hours.

The aircraft had collided with the ice at a steep angle, slightly rolled to the left. All of the aircraft’s peripheral parts were found at the site of the collision. The engine had been running. The technical investigation revealed no such defect which could have caused the accident. However, as the aircraft was badly burnt, the possibility of a technical malfunction cannot entirely be excluded.

While the weather was suitable for VFR operations, the south-southeast wind was strong and gusty. The gusts approached the upper wind limits given in the accident aircraft’s flight manual and, at times, may have exceeded them.

Whereas the pilot’s total flying experience was sufficient for the intended mission, his recent flying experience was limited. His flying experience met the requirements of Aviation Regulations.

The aircraft’s weight and balance report in pontoon configuration had expired. Hence, the aircraft was not airworthy. The Aviation Regulations give 495 kg as the maximum certificated takeoff weight for a two-seat ultralight seaplane, whereas the estimated takeoff weight for this aircraft was 560 kg.

Loss of control of the aircraft in demanding conditions was the probable cause of the accident. Contributing factors included the pilot’s scant recent flying experience as well as the increased stall speed caused by the excess weight. Longer reaction times, due to the pilot’s age, also contributed to the onset of the accident. The possibility of an acute medical emergency could not be ruled out.

Safety Investigation Authority, Finland issues the following three recommendations:

Finnish Transport Safety Agency Trafi should include regular refresher training flights or check flights in ultralight pilot licence requirements.

The Emergency Response Centre Administration should check and review the instructions related to launching a SAR operation for a missing aircraft, and retrain their personnel on them.

The Finnish Aeronautical Association should inform ultralight pilots of the risks related to flying with aircraft carrying excess weight.

In addition, the investigators underscore the importance of filing a flight plan, even when the flights are being flown in uncontrolled airspace, so as to include said flights within the sphere of SAR operations. This is especially important when the flights are being flown with aircraft fitted with skids or floats which can take off and land outside regular aerodromes.

L2012-03 Report (pdf, 0.2 Mt)