Cessna 172D Crash in Heringsdorf

Incident Overview and Flight Details On June 25, 2011, a Cessna 172D aircraft crashed near Heringsdorf, Germany, resulting in serious injuries to three occupants. The pilot, a 44-year-old commercial pilot, departed from Heringsdorf Airport (EDAH) at 14:26 local time for a 30-minute sightseeing flight. One passenger, who had a left foot injury and used a walking aid, was seated in the right rear seat. At approximately 14:50, the pilot contacted the Heringsdorf tower for landing clearance and was instructed to continue the approach to runway 28 as number two. During the extended approach, the pilot reported rough engine running and a drop in RPM, which he stated occurred whenever the rear passenger moved to take photographs. Radar data indicated the aircraft turned east from the right crosswind approach to runway 28. Approximately 3.4 nautical miles east of the runway, the pilot turned back toward the runway threshold. Witnesses near the airfield observed the aircraft losing altitude before it made an emergency landing in a ditch crossing a field perpendicular to the landing direction. The landing gear broke, and the aircraft came to rest in the ditch. The pilot later stated he had fuel supply issues and had been trying to operate the fuel pump without success. He could not recall the position of the fuel selector valve during the flight or whether he had checked it during the engine malfunction. No fire occurred at the scene.