Incident Overview
On September 22, 2006, a mid-air collision occurred between two single-engine Piper PA-28-181 aircraft near Groß Parin, Germany. The accident resulted in the death of one pilot and minor injuries to another passenger. Both aircraft sustained significant structural damage.
Flight Operations
At 13:59 local time, both aircraft departed from their respective airports. Aircraft 1 took off from Lübeck-Blankensee for a scenic flight over the Lübeck region, carrying the pilot and three passengers. Aircraft 2 departed from Kiel-Holtenau for a cross-country flight to Brandenburg-Mühlenfeld with only the pilot on board.
Sequence of Events
Aircraft 2 reported leaving the Kiel control zone at 14:03 while at 2,500 feet MSL. Shortly after, Aircraft 1 reported departing over the mandatory reporting point November at 2,000 feet MSL. At 14:08, the pilot of Aircraft 2 contacted Bremen Information for flight information and was assigned transponder code 4402.
The collision took place at 14:21 over Pariner Berg, approximately 1.5 kilometers northeast of the Lübeck VOR, at an altitude of 2,400 feet MSL. Following the impact, Aircraft 2 entered an uncontrolled attitude and crashed into a field near Groß Parin. The pilot of Aircraft 1 observed damage to the left wing and reported that the rudder controls were inoperative. He returned to Lübeck Airport, where air traffic control noted missing landing gear components. He landed on a grass runway at 14:37.
Damage and Findings
Aircraft 2 was destroyed upon impact, with the pilot's body found in the wreckage. Aircraft 1 sustained severe damage, including a dented left wing, torn rivets, and missing nose and right main landing gear. Debris from both aircraft was scattered over an area extending 700 meters north of the crash site.
Environmental Conditions
Weather conditions at the time were visual flight rules (VFR) with clear skies and visibility of 10 km or more. However, inversion layers between 1,500 and 2,500 feet MSL caused haze, potentially reducing visibility due to light scattering, particularly when looking toward the sun.