What happened
On December 19, 2016, a Tecnam P 2006 T departed Stade (EDHS) for a scheduled business flight to Heringsdorf (EDAH). During the flight, the pilot maintained radio contact with Hamburg Tower and later the Heringsdorf flight leader. Despite the flight leader explicitly warning the pilot that visibility was only 3 km with a 100-foot ceiling, the pilot expressed an intention to proceed toward Heringsdorf, even suggesting an alternative landing at Anklam if conditions did not improve.
As the aircraft approached the area, radar tracking showed the pilot performing turns north of the airfield. While the flight leader offered the use of runway lighting to assist with the approach, the aircraft was already operating in conditions that had degraded to Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). The final radar contact occurred at 10:22:04 UTC. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the twin-engine aircraft flying very low through the clouds before hearing a loud impact. The wreckage was subsequently located in a wooded area north of the airport, where the aircraft had struck trees and caught fire. The pilot sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The BFU investigation reconstructed the flight path using radar data from air traffic control and the German Bundeswehr. Investigators examined meteorological reports, including the pilot's pre-flight weather briefings and telephone consultations with the German Meteorological Service (DWD). The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's maintenance records, cockpit equipment, and the pilot's flight experience and licenses. Witnesses provided accounts of the aircraft's final moments, describing it flying low through the cloud layer before the crash.