On June 22, 2022, at approximately 11:35 local time, during the approach for landing at Lučko Airport (LDZL), a Cessna 150 (Registration 9A-DMM) aircraft struck a hay bale with its horizontal stabilizer. The hay bale was located near the runway. The aircraft had one occupant, the pilot, who was uninjured.
The aircraft sustained partial damage to the tail area.
The Air, Maritime and Railway Traffic Accident Investigation Agency (AIN) was immediately informed of the serious incident by the Lučko Airport operator, and an investigation into the incident was initiated.
The investigation determined that the serious incident occurred due to an unstable final approach.
Air, Maritime and Railway Traffic Accident Investigation Agency issued safety recommendation to the Lučko Airport operator:
Following the investigation of this incident, in the interest of increasing flight safety, the Air, Maritime and Railway Traffic Accident Investigation Agency issued the following safety recommendation to the Lučko Airport operator:
✓ AIN04-SR-03/2023
To improve the safety of flight operations at the civil section of Lučko Airport, the airport operator, Aeroklub Zagreb, should continuously ensure the visibility of runway markings. Before and after the annual grass mowing across the entire airport surface, regular mowing around the runway markings should be carried out in a smaller radius to prevent the markings from being overgrown by tall grass, ensuring they remain clearly visible at all times.