Covering form of preliminary or final report
| Date of event : | 2022-06-01 |
| Incident number : | CZ-22-0465 |
| Report : | Final report |
| Place of event : | Stichovice airport |
| Registration mark : | Accident |
| Weight category MTOM: : | <2250 kg |
| Type of operation : | Recreational and sport aviation |
| Plane / SFM : | Sports flying machines |
| Type of plane / SFM : | Liberty Thor 250 powered paraglider |
| Health effects of event : | The fatal injuries |
| PDF document : | 
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Description:
Description:
On 1 June 2022, the AAII was notified of an air accident of the Liberty Thor 250 powered paraglider at the Stichovice airport. The pilot took off from a runway at LKSB to practise the competition discipline of pylon racing. As he was performing a sharp left oval turn, the paraglider canopy suddenly collapsed massively. The pilot lost control and the powered paraglider crashed against the ground. Upon the crash on the ground at a big angle, the paraglider undercarriage and power unit were damaged. Following the frontal crash on the ground, the pilot suffered injuries to which he succumbed on the spot.
An accidental witness found the pilot’s body entangled in paraglider lines and immediately reported an air accident to the emergency line 158. IRS units came to the air accident site, followed by the AAII and LAA ČR inspectors together with an itinerant group of the Police of the Czech Republic and performed professional investigation of the location and of the powered paraglider wreckage.
SUMMARY
Synopsis
The pilot took off from a runway at LKSB to practise the competition discipline of pylon racing. As he was performing a sharp left oval turn, the paraglider canopy suddenly collapsed massively. The pilot lost control and the powered paraglider crashed against the ground. Upon the crash on the ground at a big angle, the paraglider undercarriage and power unit were damaged. Following the frontal crash on the ground, the pilot suffered injuries to which he succumbed on the spot.
Factual Information
In the morning, the pilot was taken by a close person to the Stichovice airport. After the close person left, he stayed at the airport alone and began preparing the powered paraglider for the flight. He then took off from a runway at LKSB to practise the competition discipline of pylon racing. The security camera footage shows that the powered paraglider pilot started descending southeast of the airport at 08:04:40 CEST. Having descended low above the ground at 08:05:00, he continued approaching the airport along the extended axis of the runway. After crossing the RWY 32 threshold marks, at 08:05:19, he initiated a series of turns low above the ground in the area above the first third of RWY 32 length around imaginary pylons. At 08:06:47, as he was performing a sharp left oval turn, the paraglider canopy suddenly collapsed massively. The pilot lost control and the powered paraglider crashed against the ground at a big angle at 08:06:49.
Analyses
Majority of facts pointing to the determining of the causes of the air accident arise from the evidence found in the wrecked powered paraglider, from the inspection findings at the air accident location, and from the security camera recording data.
The powered paraglider was fit for the given purpose. It was ascertained on the basis of calculation that the MTOW of the powered paraglider used was exceeded by 16 kg, i.e. approx by 13%. Due to that, the powered paraglider’s flight characteristics were changed in terms of increased agility and aggressiveness during manoeuvres. The powered paraglider was damaged by forces exerted when it crashed against the ground at a big angle with a minimal forward movement. The technical inspection, performance of essential expert examinations and analyses, including the assessment of the technical condition of the powered paraglider critical parts discovered no proof of any technical defect that could be the cause of the air accident or could lead to the loss of power or manoeuvrability of the powered paraglider. The ends of all the blades of the three-blade propeller were damaged, which confirms the fact that the power unit was functional and operative before the accident. Upon investigation of the place of air accident and subsequent technical investigation of the powered paraglider wreckage, no facts that would indicate that the air accident was caused by a technical defect were detected.
The meteorological conditions were suitable for the flight. The flight was carried out under optimal weather conditions. Weak surface wind and good visibility did not impair the powered paraglider piloting.
The pilot was experienced and qualified to conduct competition flights with own powered paraglider. During the event flight, he used the paraglider for which he has not been sufficiently trained. He got acquainted with piloting the type the day before the air accident when he carried out several flights at LKSB. During the event flight, the overloaded paraglider used for the flight did not provide the pilot with sufficient space for an adequate control response to its fast reactions.
The pilot took off from a runway at the Stichovice airport to practise the competition discipline of pylon racing. At 6:06 UTC, when he failed to correctly practise a turn around a pylon at approx. 5 m AGL, the pilot obviously entered his own wake. As a result, the powered paraglider canopy collapsed massively in the extent larger than half of its span. The powered paraglider immediately changed the direction of the flight by approx. 180 degrees in the horizontal plane and by approx. 90 degrees in the vertical plane and subsequently crashed against the ground at a big angle. This happened frontally, i.e. with pilot’s body. The interval between the paraglider canopy collapse and the impact with the ground was approx. one second.
Conclusions/Causes
The cause of the air accident was a failure to master the piloting technique when practising manoeuvring with an overloaded paraglider at a low altitude.
AAII issued no safety recommendations.
Attached final report in PDF file is in original Czech language.