Let L-410UVP – OM-ODQ – Air Crash Data

Incident Overview

Date: Thursday 20 August 2015

Aircraft Type: Let L-410UVP

Owner/operator: Dubnica Air

Registration Number: OM-ODQ

Location: Cerven? Kamen – ÿ Slovakia

Phase of Flight: En route

Status: Destroyed, written off

Casualties: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 19

Component Affected: Aircraft Structure (specifically the tail, aileron, and horizontal stabilizer)Aircraft Structure (specifically the tail, aileron, and horizontal stabilizer)

Investigating Agency: LNVULNVU

Category: Accident

On July 26, 2023, two Let L-410 aircraft, OM-SAB and OM-ODQ, crashed near Vratec, Slovakia, following a mid-air collision. Both aircraft were carrying two pilots and seventeen skydivers for a practice jump. The planned altitude was 4000 meters. OM-ODQ, progressively, became closer to OM-SAB, resulting in a collision at approximately 1300-1400 meters. The captain and pilot flying on OM-ODQ were recording video on their mobile phone while holding the phone in their left hand and controls in their right. At 1400-1500 meters, a collision occurred, with the right wing of OM-SAB penetrating the trailing plane’s door and tearing the tail off. The trailing plane then entered an unrecoverable flat spin. The tail compartment of the trailing plane tore off the leading plane’s aileron, severely damaging its right horizontal stabilizer. The leading plane then began a 3-axis rotation, causing most skydivers to parachute. Two pilots on board each plane and a total of three skydivers were killed. A skydiver from the leading plane failed to parachute after exiting the aircraft. Two skydivers on the trailing plane were knocked unconscious during the violent maneuvers following the collision.On July 26, 2023, two Let L-410 aircraft, OM-SAB and OM-ODQ, crashed near Vratec, Slovakia, following a mid-air collision. Both aircraft were carrying two pilots and seventeen skydivers for a practice jump. The planned altitude was 4000 meters. OM-ODQ, progressively, became closer to OM-SAB, resulting in a collision at approximately 1300-1400 meters. The captain and pilot flying on OM-ODQ were recording video on their mobile phone while holding the phone in their left hand and controls in their right. At 1400-1500 meters, a collision occurred, with the right wing of OM-SAB penetrating the trailing plane’s door and tearing the tail off. The trailing plane then entered an unrecoverable flat spin. The tail compartment of the trailing plane tore off the leading plane’s aileron, severely damaging its right horizontal stabilizer. The leading plane then began a 3-axis rotation, causing most skydivers to parachute. Two pilots on board each plane and a total of three skydivers were killed. A skydiver from the leading plane failed to parachute after exiting the aircraft. Two skydivers on the trailing plane were knocked unconscious during the violent maneuvers following the collision.

Description

Two Let L-410 aircraft (registrations OM-SAB and OM-ODQ) crashed near Vratec, Slovakia, following a mid-air collision. Both aircraft were carrying two pilots 17 skydivers each for a practice jump in preparation for an upcoming air show. Planned altitude for the jump was 4000 m. OM-SAB was the lead plane, followed by OM-ODQ. While climbing through an altitude of 1300-1400 meters, OM-ODQ progressively became closer to the lead plane. Closer than the previously agreed distance of 100 m. At the same time the captain, and Pilot Flying, of OM-ODQ was recording video on his mobile phone. He held the phone in his left hand and the controls in his right hand. At an altitude of 1400-1500 meters a collision occurred. The right wing of the leading plane penetrated trailing plane’s door and tore the whole tail off. The trailing plane then entered an unrecoverable flat spin. The tail compartment of trailing plane tore off leading plane’s aileron and severely damaged its right horizontal stabilizer. The leading plane started falling in a 3-axis rotation. Most skydivers managed to parachute from the striken aircraft. Two pilots on board each plane and a total of three skydivers were killed. The parachute of one skydiver from the leading plane failed after he exited the aircraft. Two skydivers on the trailing plane were knocked unconscious inside the plane during the violent maneuvers following the collision. Both aircraft came down in a wooded area. Cause of air accident (translated from Slovak): – the main cause of an airplane accident was inadequate aircraft management and failure to master piloting techniques by the OM-ODQ commander, – aircraft collision was the immediate cause of an airplane accident. Contributing factors: – Mobile phone handling during aircraft piloting, – MTOW exceedance by OM-ODQ, reassessment of capabilities by OM-ODQ commander.

Primary Cause

Inadequate aircraft management and failure to master piloting techniques by the OM-ODQ commander.Inadequate aircraft management and failure to master piloting techniques by the OM-ODQ commander.

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