What happened
On February 12, 2000, a Ruschmeyer R 90-230 RG departed from Bienenfarm, bound for Westerland/Sylt, under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The flight carried three occupants: the pilot in command, a passenger with a pilot's license but no experience on this aircraft type, and a second passenger. During the flight, the pilot requested weather information for Westerland and learned that conditions were below VFR minimums. Consequently, the pilot decided to divert to Uetersen for an unplanned landing.
Upon approaching Uetersen, the pilot was informed that runway 27 was active and that winds were 30 knots from 180 degrees. The aircraft approached the airfield from the north, flying a downwind leg. After the landing gear was extended, the aircraft entered the base leg. During this maneuver, the aircraft developed a significant left bank of nearly 90 degrees and began to roll into a left turn. The aircraft subsequently struck a soft meadow approximately 1,440 meters east-southeast of the runway 27 threshold with the right wing first. All three fatalities occurred upon impact.
The investigation
The BFU investigation, conducted alongside local police, examined the aircraft and the circumstances of the flight. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was properly registered, maintained, and within weight and balance limits. The pilot was fully rated to conduct the flight, and the weather at the time of the accident was within VFR limits, with visibility exceeding 10 km and cloud bases at 3,000 ft.
Investigators examined the pilot's medical status through the Federal Aviation Office (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt) because a health-related impairment could not be ruled out. An autopsy of the pilot revealed both a recent and an old myocardial infarction, though the exact timing of the recent event could not be determined. No mechanical defects were found on the aircraft that could explain the loss of control.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a severe left bank during the base leg, which led to the wing strike.
- A health-related impairment of the pilot cannot be ruled out as a factor in the loss of control.
- While the aircraft's bank angle had leveled out by the time it hit the ground, suggesting an attempt to recover, the low altitude likely prevented a successful recovery by the crew.