Fatal Robinson R44 Crash Near Neuhausen ob Eck

Incident Overview and Flight Details On November 19, 2013, a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter operated by a flight instructor and a student pilot crashed near Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany. The aircraft, a 2008 model with serial number 12317, was destroyed in the accident, resulting in the deaths of both occupants. The flight originated from Donaueschingen (EDTD) at approximately 11:47 local time, with the probable destination being the special landing site at Neuhausen ob Eck (EDSN). Radar data indicated that the helicopter was conducting radio navigation exercises near the Sulz-VOR at approximately Flight Level 65 above a closed cloud layer. ## Accident Sequence and Witness Accounts According to radar recordings, the helicopter reduced its altitude from approximately Flight Level 65 to 5,000 ft AMSL at 12:30 local time. At 12:32:49, the aircraft changed course to the south, followed by a turn to the northeast at 12:33:09, during which it began a rapid descent. The helicopter executed a full right-hand circle with a diameter of approximately 70 meters at an altitude of 3,500 ft AMSL before the descent stopped at 2,900 ft AMSL. Witnesses in the area reported hearing the helicopter's engine, with one describing a sudden change in sound before silence. The aircraft was reported missing the following night and was discovered by fire crews in a wooded area near Kreisstraße 5933 on November 20, 2013. ## Personnel and Aircraft Information The 48-year-old flight instructor, seated on the left, held a Commercial Pilot License (CPL(H)) and had approximately 6,232 total flight hours, including over 1,000 hours on the Robinson R44. The 31-year-old student pilot, seated on the right, held a Private Pilot License (PPL(H)) with approximately 160 total flight hours. The helicopter was a single-engine, four-seat light multi-purpose aircraft powered by a Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 engine. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had a total operating time of approximately 718 hours. ## Meteorological Conditions and Investigation The German Weather Service reported a low inversion layer with upper limits between 2,500 and 3,000 ft over the Swabian Alb region. The flight route was classified as X-Ray above the reference height, indicating that visual flight rules were not possible due to low visibility and cloud ceilings. Witnesses near the crash site reported fog with visibility of approximately 100 meters. The helicopter was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, as these were not mandatory. The investigation was conducted by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) under case number BFU 3X136-13.