What happened
On November 30, 2012, a TL 3000 Sirius ultralight aircraft departed from Marl-Loemühle airfield for a planned recreational flight with a passenger. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot encountered an unexpected wall of fog at approximately 450 ft GND. As the aircraft entered the fog, the pilot lost all visual reference to the ground and the horizon.
During the descent into the fog, the aircraft's nose pitched down sharply. The pilot observed trees approaching and attempted to recover the aircraft, but the plane collided with the trees. The wreckage was located on a golf course approximately 1,150 meters southwest of the airfield. The impact resulted in two serious injuries (the pilot and the passenger) and the destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance history, meteorological conditions, and the flight sequence. Investigators found that the aircraft had undergone recent maintenance, including repairs to the nose gear and the installation of new instruments. However, the required weight and balance report and an updated equipment list for these modifications were missing from the aircraft's documentation.
Meteorological analysis revealed that while conditions at the airfield were reported as VFR, satellite imagery and weather forecasts indicated areas of low, continuous cloud cover and fog in the Recklinghausen area. The investigation also noted that the pilot considered deploying the aircraft's emergency parachute system but decided against it to avoid potential damage to the airframe.