What happened
On May 10, 1999, a Piper PA-44-180 was conducting a dual-instruction flight for professional pilot training, departing from Hamburg. After performing several circuit patterns at Rendsburg-Schachtholm, the instructor announced an intention to land. During the approach, the pilot initiated a go-around (missed approach) while on a short final.
During this maneuver, the aircraft's underside struck a group of trees located approximately 150 meters to the left of the runway. The aircraft then struck the roof of a nearby hangar before impacting the apron almost vertically. The accident resulted in two fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft. Damage was also sustained by the hangar.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found that the landing gear was extended and locked. Both engines had their carburetor heat set to the "warm" position. While the landing gear lever was clearly set to the extended position, the flap lever was deformed by the impact, making it impossible to determine the exact flap setting at the time of the accident.
Engine inspections revealed that the propellers showed clear evidence of rotation at the moment of ground impact. While the spark plugs from the right engine indicated normal combustion, the plugs from the left engine showed slight soot buildup, suggesting a rich fuel mixture. No mechanical failures were found in the engines. Control settings for power, propeller RPM, and mixture were found at full throttle, high RPM, and rich mixture, respectively.
Due to the lack of eyewitnesses observing the entire sequence and the aircraft being below the radar horizon during the approach, a complete reconstruction of the flight path was not possible. Investigators could not definitively determine when the go-around was initiated or the exact power output of both engines during the maneuver.
Findings
- The use of carburetor heat was confirmed, which reduces engine performance.
- Combined with the extended landing gear, this configuration resulted in relatively poor climb performance.
- A partial or total loss of power in the left engine was considered a possible reason for the aircraft drifting left of the runway, though evidence of engine failure was inconclusive beyond the rich fuel mixture noted on the left engine plugs.