Incident Overview
On November 24, 2006, a six-seat, twin-engine Piper PA-34-220T (manufactured in 1982, serial number 34-8233117) was involved in an accident near Essen-Mülheim, Germany. The aircraft, registered in the Federal Republic of Germany, had a total airframe time of 7,795 hours at the time of the incident. It was chartered for a business trip to Berlin.
Flight Progression and Emergency
The flight departed from Berlin-Tempelhof at 14:04 local time under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). During the approach to Essen-Mülheim, approximately two kilometers from the airfield, both engines failed sequentially. The pilot declared an emergency and attempted a forced landing on the A52 motorway.
Collision and Damage
The aircraft struck various obstacles before impacting the roadway in the direction of Dortmund. It came to rest next to a tanker truck. Subsequently, a small transport vehicle and a passenger car collided with the wreckage. The left wing and engine were torn off during the impact with the transporter. A fire broke out in the nose section but was extinguished by the tanker driver using a powder extinguisher.
Investigation Findings
Post-accident examination revealed only approximately 80 ml of fuel remaining in the system. Cockpit controls indicated the left engine throttle was at full power, while the right engine throttle was at idle with the tank selector in crossfeed position. The pilot had refueled 110 liters (55 liters per side) in Berlin prior to departure. The investigation concluded that the accident resulted from fuel exhaustion due to insufficient fuel quantity for the flight duration and block times.