Incident Overview
On April 24, 2015, at approximately 16:59 local time, a serious incident involving two light aircraft occurred in the departure area of Runway 14 at Westerland/Sylt Airport. The event involved a Piper PA-34-220T operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and a Piper PA-46-310P operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). According to radar data, the minimum separation between the two aircraft was 0.246 nautical miles horizontally and 100 feet vertically. No personal injuries or physical damage to either aircraft were reported.
Operational Context
The PA-34 had received clearance for an IFR departure to Lüneburg from Runway 14 at 16:55. The pilot, accompanied by one passenger, was in contact with Bremen Radar. Traffic information regarding the PA-46 was provided multiple times between 16:57 and 16:59, with the PA-34 pilot reporting no visual contact until the moment of closest approach.
The PA-46 was on a VFR flight from Leipzig to Westerland. The pilot, also accompanied by one passenger, had been in communication with Westerland Tower. At 16:59:12, the tower controller instructed the PA-46 pilot to vacate the arrival sector for Runway 32 immediately due to an IFR departure. The PA-46 pilot acknowledged and initiated a right turn, which radar plots confirmed as an evasive maneuver following the closest point of approach.
Investigation Details
The investigation was conducted by the German Federal Aviation Office (BFU) under case number BFU 15-0429-7X. The report was summarized pursuant to § 18 FlUUG, focusing solely on factual findings. Both pilots held valid Private Pilot Licences with approximately 2,000 hours of experience each. Meteorological conditions at the time included broken clouds with a base at 600 feet and visibility of 7,000 meters, though the PA-34 pilot reported poor oblique visibility due to sea mist.