Fatal Socata TB 20 Crash Near Nordhorn-Lingen

Incident Overview and Flight Details On January 14, 2009, a Socata TB 20 aircraft crashed near Nordhorn-Lingen, Germany, resulting in the deaths of all three occupants. The aircraft, a 2004-built Socata TB-20 GT Trinidad, was destroyed in the accident, which also caused damage to the ground. The flight originated from Zielona Góra/Babimost in Poland (EPZG) and was intended for Nordhorn-Lingen (EDWN). The aircraft departed at 17:30 local time following a daytime stay. ## Approach and Final Moments The flight proceeded under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) until Münster-Osnabrück, where the crew conducted an ILS approach to descend into Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC). The IFR status was terminated at 19:54 at approximately 800 ft AMSL, and the flight continued under Visual Flight Rules at night (VFR-night) toward the uncontrolled destination. Radar data and witness accounts indicate the aircraft flew north of the airfield at about 700 ft AMSL before turning west and then southwest. The first approach was aborted. During the second approach to runway 06, the low-wing aircraft struck trees while turning left south of the approach centerline. The last radar signal was recorded at 19:11:32 UTC, approximately one nautical mile west of the airfield. ## Personnel and Aircraft Status The pilot in the left seat was a 43-year-old male holding a Dutch private pilot license without night or instrument ratings. The pilot in the right seat was a 56-year-old male with a Dutch commercial pilot license, including instrument and instructor ratings. The aircraft was equipped with a Lycoming IO-540-C4D5D engine and was approved for IFR flight. ## Meteorological Conditions Weather conditions deteriorated significantly during the flight. Visibility at the destination area dropped below 1,500 meters, with some reports indicating visibility under 1,000 meters. Cloud bases were low, with reports of ceilings as low as 150 ft AGL near the destination. The German Weather Service had issued X-Ray ratings for the region, indicating poor visibility and low cloud conditions.