What happened
On September 10, 2015, a Beech C24R departed from Wittmundhafen airport for a private VFR flight to Halle-Oppin. The pilot intended to attend business appointments in Merse and Leipzig. While the flight began under visual flight rules (VFR) conditions, weather visibility deteriorated significantly as the aircraft progressed toward its destination.
Radar data indicates that the aircraft's flight path changed as the pilot encountered worsening weather. Near the town of Staßfurt, the aircraft altered its course, eventually flying south toward the A14 motorway near Könnern. During the final stages of the flight, the aircraft's altitude dropped rapidly. Radar records show the aircraft was at approximately 400 ft AMSL at 07:31:11 UTC, descending to roughly 30 ft AGL by 07:31:16 UTC. The aircraft then entered a turn before impacting a field, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft and the death of the pilot due to multiple traumatic injuries.
The investigation
The BFU investigation focused on the flight path, the aircraft's mechanical condition, and the meteorological environment. Investigators analyzed radar records and examined the wreckage at the crash site. The investigation confirmed that the engine was still producing power at the moment of impact, evidenced by the spiraled propeller blades, the clean combustion pattern on all eight spark plugs, and microscopic evidence on the manifold pressure gauge indicating a reading of 31 inches of mercury.
Meteorological data revealed that while the departure airport had good visibility, fog was forecast for the destination area. At the time of the accident, visibility at the crash site was estimated at only 200 to 300 meters, with low cloud cover obscuring even large structures like nearby wind turbines.
Findings
- The pilot was flying under VFR but entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
- The pilot did not hold an instrument rating, and the aircraft was not equipped for instrument flight.
- The pilot failed to execute a timely turn to return to visual conditions.
- The rapid descent rate of over 4,000 ft/min ruled out engine failure as a cause, as a gliding descent would have allowed for a controlled landing in the available field.
- The pilot experienced a loss of spatial orientation during the maneuver.