Incident Overview
On March 2, 2018, an accident involving a Diamond DA 40 NG occurred at Stuttgart Airport. The German Federal Aviation Office (BFU) was notified of the incident at 20:20 local time. During a go-around maneuver, the aircraft deviated from the departure direction, struck the airport perimeter fence, and crashed into an adjacent field.
Casualties and Damage
The accident resulted in two passengers sustaining minor injuries. The aircraft suffered heavy damage. Additionally, third-party damage was recorded to the airport fence.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the primary cause of the accident was the pilot's control errors during the go-around. These errors caused the aircraft to lose directional stability and enter a stalled flight condition, leading to the collision with the obstacle.
Several contributing factors were identified:
- Incorrect operation of the Automated Flight Control System (AFCS) combined with insufficient monitoring of system displays by the pilot.
- A delayed decision to initiate the go-around.
- Execution of the go-around procedure with incorrect flap settings and insufficient airspeed.
- Spatial disorientation experienced by the pilot during the maneuver.
- The decision to conduct the flight in an aircraft not equipped for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).
- Inadequate meteorological preparation.
- Failure to fully utilize cockpit automation to reduce workload.
- High stress levels on the pilot due to weather conditions, high approach speed, and landing sequence position.