Socata TB 20 crash into Oderhaff on 4 September 2016

Accident overview and flight details On 4 September 2016, a Socata TB 20 aircraft crashed into the Oderhaff, killing all three people on board. The aircraft had departed Heringsdorf Airport for a flight to Michelstadt in the Odenwald region. According to the German Federal Aviation Office (BFU) investigation report, the accident occurred two minutes after takeoff. The aircraft was first detected by air traffic control radar at 10:10:02 local time, approximately 1.5 nautical miles west of the threshold of runway 28, with a ground speed of about 90 knots. The radar track showed that after takeoff, the aircraft turned onto a southerly course, reached the Oderhaff after about one minute of flight, and continued in a straight line on a heading of 193 degrees. Its ground speed increased to about 120 knots, and one minute later it accelerated to about 130 knots, turned to the right, and struck the water surface. The occupants were ejected from the cabin during the impact, and the aircraft was destroyed. ## Weather conditions At the time of departure, visibility at Heringsdorf Airport was 4,200 meters, and the cloud base was 1,400 feet. In the area of the accident site, visibility was lower and the main cloud base was lower due to an area of heavier rain. A meteorological report commissioned by the BFU from the German Weather Service (DWD) stated that a warm front associated with a low-pressure system over the British Isles reached the Usedom/Oderhaff area from the west during the night of 4 September 2016. The warm front passed near the ground in the morning. ## Investigation findings The BFU report states that it was not possible to determine with certainty which of the three occupants was the pilot in command and who was seated in which seat. Pilot A, a 52-year-old who had owned the aircraft since 2013, was very likely the pilot in command and was seated in the front left seat. The aircraft, a single-engine, low-wing, all-metal aircraft with retractable landing gear, was manufactured in 1985 with serial number 467. Its maximum takeoff weight was 1,335 kg, and its maximum cruising speed was 151 knots. The last airworthiness inspection was carried out on 8 March 2016. The estimated takeoff weight was approximately 1,325 kg, based on the occupants' weight of about 270 kg, an assumed baggage weight of 30 kg, and an assumed fuel quantity of 200 liters.