Plane Crash at Točná Airfield Was Preceded by a Series of Bizarre Pilot Violations

Investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Institute (ÚZPLN) have released a preliminary report on the plane crash at the Točná airfield near Prague, which killed both pilots from Liberec. According to the report, the crew was flying the route Liberec – Česká Lípa – Hodkovice – Panenský Týnec – Kladno – Točná, and had already committed serious violations during an intermediate landing.

While stopped at the Kladno – Velká Dobrá airfield, the pilots halted the aircraft directly on the runway without air traffic control clearance, shut off the engine, and got out of the cockpit to swap seats at the controls. They ignored the controller's warning that such a maneuver was not permitted. A few minutes later, the crew restarted the engine, requested clearance for takeoff, and responded to another warning with just a curt "understood."

According to the report, the aircraft's transponder was switched off for the entire duration of the flight. On approach to Točná, the crew failed to fly the prescribed airfield traffic pattern and continued flying at low altitude near the runway.

During the third and fourth turns, the pilot deployed the flaps and reduced speed. Investigators note that the engine was functioning properly, but the aircraft gradually entered a left-hand spin from which it could no longer be recovered.

After the crash, the plane caught fire and was completely destroyed. Shortly after the tragedy, it was reported that the aircraft had been equipped with a ballistic parachute rescue system, which the crew apparently never had time to deploy. The ÚZPLN's preliminary report now officially confirms this: the ballistic parachute system was never activated. The investigation into the causes of the crash is ongoing, and the final report has not yet been published.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz