What happened
On January 3, 2000, a Piper PA 28-161 "Cadet", registration F-GKBR, departed from the Sarrebourg-Buhl airfield for a local flight. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and three passengers. During the flight, the pilot contacted Phalsbourg Approach to report that the aircraft was lost in the Donon sector due to a fog bank and requested navigational assistance.
Air traffic controllers attempted to assist using non-radar methods, including direction finding (goniometry) and secondary radar from Strasbourg. At 13:20 UTC, the pilot expressed extreme disorientation, stating he was "completely lost." While the controller provided a radar position from Strasbourg, the pilot reported that the aircraft was flying in heavy fog. The final radio contact occurred at 13:24 UTC, following which the aircraft disappeared from radar. The wreckage was located in a forested, mountainous area approximately 20 kilometers southeast of the departure airfield.
The investigation
The investigation examined the wreckage, which was found dispersed over a 150-meter area. The aircraft had struck trees in a forested zone at an altitude of approximately 760 meters. The main wreckage, including the engine and cockpit, was found inverted. Investigators noted that the aircraft's power lever was at full throttle and the mixture was at full rich.
Technical analysis of the cockpit revealed that the altimeter was set to 1025 hPa, indicating an altitude of 2,650 feet. The investigation also focused on the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT). Although the device was found broken at the impact site, it failed to transmit a signal. The investigation determined that the failure was due to a mechanical and electrical separation of the battery pack, transmitter, and antenna cable.
Findings
- The aircraft collided with trees while flying in heavy fog.
- The pilot was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in conditions that lacked sufficient visibility.
- The emergency locator transmitter failed to activate because the physical impact caused the antenna and power supply to disconnect from the transmitter unit.
- The radar at Phalsbourg was unavailable at the time of the accident due to damage from a recent storm.