What happened
On the evening of June 1, 2018, a Murphy Aircraft Renegade 472 912 ULS was performing low-altitude maneuvers at the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler airfield. The pilot had initially intended to perform circuit patterns before flying a local route toward the Rhine. Witnesses observed the pilot performing several low-altitude turns at the ends of the runway.
At approximately 19:43, the aircraft departed from runway 28. Surveillance cameras recorded the aircraft performing four consecutive low-altitude passes, each involving a steep pull-up at the end of the runway. During the final pass, as the aircraft reached the apex of a turn while flying eastbound, it pitched over the left wing. The aircraft entered a spin, descending below the airfield level. Approximately 20 seconds after the impact, smoke was seen rising from the crash site, which quickly intensified into a fire. The pilot was killed in the accident, and the aircraft was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire.
The investigation
The BFU examined surveillance footage from the airfield, which documented the sequence of the final maneuvers and the subsequent loss of control. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's maintenance history, noting that a 200-hour engine inspection had been completed recently and a 50-hour inspection had been performed one week prior to the accident.
Investigators examined the wreckage, noting that the aircraft's control surfaces were broken and the airframe was heavily damaged. While the high degree of destruction limited a full technical analysis, no evidence of mechanical failure was found. The investigation also looked into the aircraft's emergency recovery system, a BRS-5 UL 4, finding that the parachute had not been deployed by the pilot; instead, the rocket motor had been activated by the post-impact fire.
Findings
- The pilot was performing high-G, steep turns at a very low altitude, which eliminated essential safety margins.
- The aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall and subsequent spin at the apex of a turn, which occurred too suddenly for the pilot to recover.
- The low altitude prevented the pilot from regaining controlled flight or manually activating the emergency parachute system.
- Weather conditions, including visibility and light, were not contributing factors to the accident.