24 killed in ultra-light plane crashes in 5 years

Human casualties in ultra-soft aircraft accidents in the country increased significantly in recent years with 24 people being killed in separate light aircraft crashes in the last five years.

An investigation conducted by the Accident Investigation Board of the Finnish Transport Safety Agency (Trafi) in 2013 revealed that lack of adequate information in instruction books of ultra-soft aircrafts and a drop in lifting forces at the wings are responsible for frequent crashes of the aircrafts generally operated by the passengers as a part of their hobbies.

The last accident took place on Wednesday at Lievestuore in Jyväskylä when the pilot of an ultra-light aircraft was killed.

The number of ultra-light aircraft accidents reduced in the last two years (2015 and 2016) compared to the number of accidents that took place from 2012 to 2014.

In August 2, 2014, a light aircraft crashed in the sea in south Finland, leaving the pilot dead.

In the same year on April 20, eight people were killed in a crash at Jämijärvi Airfield in Satakunta.

In March 2014, two people were injured when a light aircraft fell at the Nummela airport. One of the victims succumbed to his wounds after a few days.

On September 8, 2013, an ultra-soft aircraft crashed at Haapavesi in Pohjois-Pohjanmaa resulting in the death of the lone pilot. The accident took place when a fire broke out at the tube frame and a fabric-clad of the aircraft. The plane was flying very close to the ground and the entire body of the aircraft was completely burnt after the crash.

On June 29, 2013, three out of four passengers of a family on board died on the spot as a private seaplane while taking off hit a pontoon in Suvasvesi Lake, about 100 metres from Kuopio Vehmersalmi guest port. The deceased were a 45-year-old man, his 39-year-old wife and their 13-year-old son. An 11-year-old boy survived the accident.

On May 3, 2013, a middle-aged couple was burnt alive when a small ultra-soft aircraft crashed in the air and fell on a lakeside road in Sysmäki area of Päijät-Häme. Locals saw a fire in the sky and then the burning aircraft diving into the ground. Of the victims, the man was 60 years old and the woman 50 years.

On May 8, 2013, one person was killed and another wounded when an ultra-soft aircraft crashed in Pirkanmaa area. The crash took place as the upper engine of the seaplane broke away, forcing the aircraft to nosedive into the water with the pilot trying in vain to make a safe landing.

On May 5, 2013, an ultra-light aircraft crashed at Vitikanpää in Rovaniemi less than two days after another ultra-soft plane had crashed on May 3.

In November 2012, a 44-year-old man was killed when an ultra-light plane crashed just after take-off at Kontiolahti in North Karjala.

In September 2012, two people died when a light aircraft crashed at Utsjoki in Lapland. Their ultra-light two-seater plane was completely destroyed in the accident.

A 22-year-old flight student died in Loimaa in May 2012 as a two-seater plane fell onto a highway in Alastaro.

In April 2012, two men died at Rääkkylä in North Karjala when their ultra-light plane crashed in an icy lake.