What happened
On 1s January 2015, a Cessna 177B was conducting an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight from Maastricht, Netherlands, to Luxembourg. While the aircraft was at an altitude of 4,000 feet near Dierkirch, the engine experienced a loss of power. After the pilot was unable to restore power, an emergency landing was initiated in a field north of the village of Stegen.
The aircraft initially touched down in a muddy field east of an elevated rural road. As the plane crossed the road, it became airborne again before making a second touchdown in a nose-down attitude approximately 23 meters further west. During this sequence, the propeller impacted the ground while still rotating, and the nose wheel eventually detached. The aircraft finally came to a stop after the right wing tip struck the field.
All three occupants—the pilot and two passengers—exited the aircraft on their own without injuries. However, the aircraft sustained significant damage to the rear fuselage, propeller, nose and main landing gear, right wing, and rear window, resulting in the aircraft being written off.
The investigation
The AET investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the engine failure and the subsequent impact. Investigators examined the flight history, noting that the pilot was experienced with 884 total flight hours. The investigation also reviewed meteorological conditions at Luxembourg International Airport, which showed good visibility and a cloud base of 1,200 feet at the time of the occurrence. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft's weight and balance were within the prescribed envelope and that the engine failure was the primary driver for the emergency landing.