ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226385
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| Date: | Friday 21 June 2019 |
| Time: | 11:20 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-18-95 Super Cub |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | PH-VCY |
| MSN: | 18-3601 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Oudemolen, Noord-Brabant -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Breda International Airport (EHSE) |
| Breda International Airport (EHSE) | |
| Investigating agency: | Dutch Safety Board |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Piper PA-18-95 Super Cub (PH-VCY) and a Piper PA-18-125 Super Cub (PH-RED) collided while practicing formation flying at 500 feet above mean sea level nearby the village of Oudemolen. PH-RED was the formation leader and PH-VCY was the wingman. The mid-air collision had severely damaged PH-VCY, causing the aircraft to become uncontrollable and to crash. The pilot and passenger of PH-VCY were fatally injured. PH-RED was substantially damaged, however, the pilot was able to make an emergency landing in a field nearby. The pilot of PH-RED suffered minor injuries, the passenger remained unharmed.
The formation team performed formation displays for about two years prior to the date of the accident. During the flying season, the team alternating practiced two familiar formation displays. On the day of the accident flight, the formation team had added a new formation manoeuvre to the display that was practiced for the second time.
The new manoeuvre consisted of a formation split up from a line abreast position, followed by an opposite 360 degrees turn of both aircraft and finishing with a rejoin. The planned airspeed of the manoeuvre was 90 mph. On the previous formation flight, the new manoeuvre was practiced two times to gain proficiency and to determine its feasibility. The pilots had recognized that it was difficult to adequately keep each other in sight during the rejoin of the manoeuvre.
In the exercise area the pilot started with the new manoeuvre, which took approximately 25 seconds. The wingman rejoined as intended. Following the rejoin, the pilots continued with the planned manoeuvres of the exercise. After the first exercise was completed, which took approximately ten minutes, the formation leader instructed the wingman to fly separately to the holding area for a rejoin.
The formation rejoined at the holding area and proceeded inbound towards the reference point to perform the display for a second time. At the reference point, the leader directed the formation to split-up, after which both aircraft started their opposite turns. This time, however, after 360° of level turn, the two aircraft collided.
CONCLUSION:
The investigation revealed that during the rejoin of the new formation manoeuvre, the wingman (PH-VCY) closed in from behind at the right side with a higher airspeed, before colliding with the leader (PH-RED). It was determined that technical factors did not contribute to the cause of the accident. Both pilots had a valid pilot licence, display authorization and medical certificate.
The formation team practiced a new formation manoeuvre that had the inherent risk for the pilots of not being able to adequately keep each other in sight during the rejoin phase of the manoeuvre. Even though the hazard of losing sight was recognized by the two pilots, who were proficient in formation flying, the mitigating measure consisting of a fixed altitude separation of 100 feet was not effective to ensure the safety of the formation during the rejoin. Even with an applied altitude separation as a measure to avoid a mid-air collision, the new formation manoeuvre was by its design unsafe to perform.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1962509005/sportvliegtuigje-stort-neer-in-brabant
https://www.bndestem.nl/moerdijk/ongeval-met-twee-sportvliegtuigen-bij-willemstad-een-vliegtuig-met-twee-inzittenden-neergestort~a7ab0fc3/
https://www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/3017853/Ongeluk-met-twee-sportvliegtuigjes-bij-Oudemolen-een-vliegtuig-neergestort
Google Maps
___________________
https://vliegendmuseumseppe.nl/collectie/piper-super-cub/
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/8918667/L (photo)
Images:
Media:
Het onderzoek aan de Noordlangeweg in Willemstad is in volle gang. pic.twitter.com/d8RcHaxth8
— MediaTV (@mediatvnl) 21 juin 2019
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jun-2019 11:06 | RobertMB | Added |
| 21-Jun-2019 11:09 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 21-Jun-2019 11:15 | RobertMB | Updated [Location, Source] |
| 21-Jun-2019 11:24 | RobertMB | Updated [Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Damage, Narrative] |
| 21-Jun-2019 11:33 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Jun-2019 11:48 | RobertMB | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Jun-2019 12:20 | Michael Roots | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Jun-2019 12:20 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Destination airport] |
| 21-Jun-2019 13:59 | RobertMB | Updated [Operator, Source] |
| 21-Jun-2019 18:55 | franka | Updated [Narrative] |
| 21-Jun-2019 19:09 | RobertMB | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Jun-2019 23:02 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 21-Jun-2019 23:03 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code] |
| 22-Jun-2019 09:41 | anon | Updated [Operator, Nature] |
| 22-Jun-2019 10:20 | TigerTimon | Updated [Location, Source] |
| 21-Oct-2021 12:37 | harro | Updated [Time, Narrative, Accident report] |
| 21-Oct-2021 14:31 | harro | Updated [Location, Phase, Category] |
| 22-Jun-2022 01:44 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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