What happened
On July 8, 1997, a Piper PA-28-181 was conducting a flight from Egelsbach to Dresden, accompanied by a second, less powerful aircraft. The pilot of the primary aircraft had chartered the plane to transport three passengers for a business engagement. Initially, the flight proceeded well above the clouds in excellent weather conditions. However, as the aircraft approached the Erzgebirge mountains, a closing cloud layer forced the crew to descend to maintain visual contact with the ground.
To maintain orientation, the pilot decided to follow the path of the nearby autobahn. While the accompanying aircraft diverted to avoid fuel exhaustion risks, the pilot of the Piper PA-28-181 continued toward Dresden, providing several position reports. During the flight, the pilot radioed the second aircraft, stating he needed to climb. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft entered a period of uncontrolled flight.
Radar data from Leipzig indicated that near Stollberg, the aircraft was flying at an altitude of only approximately 1860 ft MSL. The aircraft then performed several tight, irregular right-hand circles, climbing briefly before a final radar hit showed the altitude dropping to 2260 ft MSL. The aircraft eventually struck the ground in a heavily banked, spiral-like descent in a forested area, resulting in four fatalities (the pilot and three passengers).