What happened
On September 20, 2009, an Avions Pierre Robin DR 400/180 departed from the Porta Westfalica airfield (EDVY) for a planned VFR flight to Damme (EDWC). The aircraft was carrying a pilot and three passengers. Shortly after takeoff from runway 23, witnesses observed the aircraft enter an extremely steep climb. Within seconds, the aircraft banked heavily to the left, striking a tree approximately 60 meters from the runway. The impact sheared the top of the tree, and the aircraft subsequently crashed into a nearby pond.
Three occupants managed to escape the wreckage while it was still in the water, though one person required assistance from bystanders to be freed from their seatbelts. The accident resulted in one person seriously injured and two persons with minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed, and the incident caused environmental damage due to fuel/fluid contamination in the water.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance history, the pilot's experience, and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. The aircraft, a wooden low-wing monoplane, had undergone a 50-hour inspection in July 2009 and had flown only five hours since that check. The pilot held a private pilot license with approximately 20 total hours of flight time, including 17 hours on the DR 400/180 type.
Investigators analyzed the aircraft's loading, which totaled 440 kg, well within the maximum takeoff mass of 1,100 kg. Meteorological data confirmed VFR conditions with a visibility of 8,000 meters and winds between 280° and 320° at 10 knots. The investigation also noted that the onboard GPS unit did not store data, preventing a digital reconstruction of the flight path.