What happened
On June 4, 2013, an Ikarus C 42 ultralight aircraft was conducting a training flight at the Hamm-Lippewiesen airfield. While on final approach to runway 24, the flight instructor and student pilot noted that the runway had been switched from runway 06. The aircraft was following another C 42 that had recently landed. During the approach, the end of the runway was obstructed by the previously landed aircraft, and a Dimona motor glider was positioned immediately at the edge of the runway.
Due to a tailwind component, the aircraft was at an excessively high altitude for landing. Upon reaching the halfway marker, the pilot determined the aircraft was still too high to land safely and initiated a go-around maneuver. During this procedure, the crew reported a loss of engine power. The instructor took control and flew a shallow, full circle to the right, passing low over the airfield's hangars and over the glider waiting at the runway edge. As the aircraft completed the turn, it rolled over the left wing and struck the ground.
The investigation
The BFU examined the wreckage and the circumstances surrounding the flight. The investigation found that the aircraft's landing gear had been completely sheared off upon impact, and the engine had been forced downward, breaking the cowling. The investigation also noted that the throttle was found in the full-power position, while the ignition and fuel pump switches were in the 'off' position. Additionally, the investigators discovered that the aircraft's airspeed markings did not comply with the requirements of the flight manual.
Findings
- The aircraft was at an unsafe altitude during the final approach due to a tailwind.
- A loss of engine power occurred during the attempted go-around.
- The aircraft's landing gear was destroyed upon impact, and the left wing collapsed during the crash.
- The investigation noted that the engine's carburetors had been removed for maintenance on a different aircraft just days prior to the accident, and the aircraft had been operated for approximately two and a half hours since that maintenance, though no documentation of the reinstallation was available.