Incident Overview
On November 3, 2014, a Piper Aircraft PA 28-161 Cadet was involved in an accident near Tuttlingen, Germany. The investigation, conducted by the German Federal Aviation Office (BFU) under case number BFU 3X121-14, concluded that the aircraft suffered heavy damage after striking electrical infrastructure, though no persons were injured.
Flight Details and Sequence of Events
The single-engine aircraft departed from the airfield at Donaueschingen-Villingen (EDTD) at 10:07 local time for a private sightseeing flight. The pilot, flying alone, followed the Danube River southeast toward Tuttlingen before turning northeast over the city. After passing Tuttlingen, the aircraft entered a left turn toward Esslingen.
At approximately 10:28, two 20 kV overhead power line systems near the Tuttlingen substation automatically tripped due to a short circuit. The pilot later stated that he had overlooked a power line and severed it with the propeller. Despite the damage, the aircraft returned to the departure airfield and landed on runway 18 at 10:39.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The affected aircraft was a 1989 model PA 28-161 Cadet, operated by a flight school in Germany. It was powered by an Avco Lycoming O-320-D3G engine producing 160 horsepower. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 7,230 total hours and had been airworthy since September 2, 2014.
The pilot was a 39-year-old male holding a Private Pilot License (PPL-A) valid until October 2016. He possessed 112 hours of total flight experience, with only 30 minutes logged in the preceding 90 days.
Damage and Aftermath
The collision occurred approximately 30 km from the departure point, near the Tuttlingen railway station at an elevation of about 655 meters. The aircraft severed two upper conductors of a high-voltage line situated between 28 and 31 meters above ground. The falling wires damaged railway catenary lines and the adjacent Federal Highway 311, causing power outages and train cancellations.
Physical inspection of the aircraft revealed scratches on the propeller blade leading edge, a cut lower engine cowling, and significant deformation to the right wing's leading edge and missing trailing edge. Fuel was present in the tanks, and no control system failures were identified.