What happened
On September 22, 2019, at approximately 17:55 local time, an AutoGyro MTOsport gyrocopter collided with a three-wire, 10 kV power line near Oberlahr in the Westerwald region of Germany. The aircraft was performing a flight from Vettweiß to Dierdorf-Wienau, carrying two occupants.
Witnesses and digital evidence, including video footage recorded by a passenger on a smartphone, indicated that the aircraft had been operating at extremely low altitudes, often just a few meters above the ground, during both the outbound and return legs of the flight. The aircraft was traveling from the west, following the valley floor of the Wied river. During the flight, the aircraft struck the power lines at an altitude of approximately 20 meters. Witnesses described an abrupt deceleration upon impact, noting that the aircraft briefly climbed a short distance and performed a 150-degree turn before plunging into the Wied river. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries due to polytrauma, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the aircraft wreckage, witness statements, and digital media. The wreckage was recovered from the riverbed, partially submerged. Investigators analyzed the condition of the AutoGyro MTOsport and found no evidence of mechanical failure or technical defects. The engine, propeller, and flight controls were found to be intact, though the propeller blades and rotor blades had sustained significant damage from the impact.
Digital evidence from a smartphone belonging to the passenger provided a reconstruction of the flight path, confirming a pattern of low-altitude maneuvering. Furthermore, the investigation reviewed the flight history of the occupants and noted that the pilot had performed a low-altitude practice flight at the departure airfield earlier that day. The investigation also noted that the power lines in question did not require visual markers, such as balls, under current regulations.