On June 28, 2022, at approximately 09:21 local time (LT), during a scenic flight, the subject aircraft crashed in the Blaca desert area on the island of Brač. The aircraft had three occupants, the pilot and two passengers. All three individuals sustained bodily injuries, but were not in life-threatening condition. The aircraft was destroyed.
The Air, Maritime and Railway Traffic Accident Investigation Agency (AIN) received information about the accident from OKC-MUP and HKZP, after which an investigation was conducted, and a safety inquiry was initiated.
The investigation determined that the immediate cause of the accident was the loss of lift due to reduced airspeed and increased climb angle.
Based on the findings of this investigation, in the interest of improving safety, the Air, Maritime and Railway Traffic Accident Investigation Agency issued general safety recommendations to general aviation pilots.
Safety recommendations are issued solely for safety improvement purposes and do not imply any legal assumption of fault or liability for the accident or serious incident.
Although the methods for avoiding the contributory factors identified in this final report are well known in aviation practice and adequately addressed by regulatory standards, in order to raise awareness of certain elements observed during this investigation, AIN provides the following general safety recommendations to general aviation pilots:
✓ AIN04-SR-04/2023
Pilots should avoid selecting flight paths that, due to terrain (e.g., canyons) or other reasons, do not allow for alternative emergency procedures.
✓ AIN04-SR-05/2023
Pilots should maintain sufficient altitude during flight to ensure that emergency procedures can be implemented in case of difficulties.
✓ AIN04-SR-06/2023
Pilots should consider and account for possible local air currents caused by the current meteorological conditions and the characteristics of the area during flight planning and the flight itself. They should adjust the flight path and flight mode to ensure safety.
✓ AIN04-SR-07/2023
Pilots conducting scenic flights, aiming to provide passengers with interesting and attractive views, should ensure that flight safety is not compromised for the sake of the flight’s attractiveness.