Accident
On the evening of 7 March 1997, a Piper PA-28R-200 departed Hahn airport for a local training flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at night. The planned exercise was to fly multiple right-hand circuits. On board were two pilots and one passenger. During the final approach to runway 21, approximately 1,300 meters before the threshold, the aircraft struck a tall forest bordering the airfield and impacted the ground. The left-seat pilot was fatally injured, the right-seat pilot sustained serious injuries, and the passenger suffered minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.
Investigation
The investigation revealed no evidence of any technical malfunction or system failure. The landing gear was found extended, flaps set to 10°, and the throttle, propeller pitch, and mixture controls were in the full-power, fine-pitch, and rich positions, respectively. The right-seat pilot reported that during the approach, he suddenly realized from the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) that the aircraft was too low. He immediately advanced the throttle, but the tree strike occurred at the same moment. Air traffic control confirmed that the approach lighting and PAPI were functioning correctly. A post-accident flight in a police helicopter verified that the PAPI glideslope was set accurately. Weather conditions were good, with visibility exceeding 10 kilometers and wind from the southeast at 10 knots.
Crew Information
The left-seat pilot held a private pilot license with a night rating and a CVFR (controlled VFR) endorsement. He was also a flight instructor. His total flight experience was 580 hours, but his last flight in the accident aircraft type was on 17 July 1994, more than two years prior. His logbook contained no night flights. The right-seat pilot held a commercial pilot license with an instrument rating and a flight instructor endorsement. He had accumulated 2,862 total flight hours, including 29 landings on the accident type in the preceding 90 days.
Assessment
Based on the technical findings and the surviving pilot's testimony, all aircraft systems operated normally. The investigation concluded that the pilot flying unintentionally descended below the glideslope, causing the aircraft to strike trees short of the runway. This was likely due to his lack of recent night flying experience (his last night flight was more than ten years earlier) and unfamiliarity with the altered visual cues at night and the use of PAPI to control descent rate. Additionally, the left-seat pilot was not current on the aircraft type (more than 24 months since last flight) and was not legally authorized to act as pilot-in-command or to carry passengers at night without meeting recent experience requirements. The right-seat pilot, as a flight instructor, was considered the pilot-in-command for the training flight.