Cessna 172R Collision with Power Line at Mettenbach

Incident Overview On 8 July 2009, a Cessna 172R aircraft was destroyed after colliding with a 20-kV overhead power line near Mettenbach, Germany. The accident occurred approximately two minutes after takeoff from Regensburg-Oberhub airfield. Both occupants, a 39-year-old pilot and a 65-year-old flight instructor, were seriously injured. ## Flight Details The flight was a training exercise intended to maintain the pilot's single-engine piston (SEP) class rating. The aircraft took off from runway 28 at 19:06 local time. Witnesses observed a normal climb initially, but the aircraft was lost from sight behind a wooded area on the western horizon at an unusually low altitude. ## Accident Sequence Approximately 1.5 nautical miles from the airfield, the high-wing aircraft flew under a 20-kV power line running perpendicular to the flight path at a height of 8.6 meters. The vertical stabilizer of the Cessna struck the first live cable of the three-cable line. The entire tail assembly was torn from the rear of the fuselage, causing the aircraft to pitch forward and crash into an adjacent rapeseed field 32 meters beyond the power line. ## Aircraft and Personnel The 1998 Cessna 172R was a single-engine, four-seat high-wing aircraft with fixed landing gear, powered by a 200 HP Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine. It was registered in the German aircraft register and operated by an aviation club. The aircraft had 4,072 total flight hours, with 118 hours since its last airworthiness review in October 2008. The 39-year-old pilot held a German PPL(A) license issued in June 2008. The 65-year-old flight instructor held a PPL license with ratings for single- and multi-engine piston aircraft, motor gliders, and flight instruction privileges, with a total experience of 5,459 hours. ## Investigation Findings The investigation found no evidence of engine or control system failure prior to the power line strike. Both propeller blades were slightly warped, and the throttle was found in the full power position. Approximately 70 liters of fuel were recovered from the tanks. The power line strike caused a local power outage, including at Regensburg-Oberhub airfield. Neither occupant could recall the accident sequence due to their injuries.