Flight History
On 23 April 2008, a Piper PA-46-350P, registration D-EPOE, landed at Parma Airport at 12:34 UTC after arriving from Masera (VB) with only the pilot-owner on board. The flight was intended for a revalidation check of the pilot's type rating for the PA-46. Four other Piper PA-46 pilots had also gathered at Parma for similar purposes, some arriving in two other PA-46 aircraft (D-EGAC and G-DIPM).
At 14:35 UTC, D-EPOE departed from Parma in VFR conditions with three persons on board: the pilot-owner, an examiner pilot, and a third occupant who was also a PA-46 pilot and had just completed his own revalidation.
Accident Sequence
The flight initially conducted a simulated forced landing due to power loss, with a left final turn and subsequent touch-and-go on runway 20. The pilot then informed Parma Tower that he would perform another engine failure simulation, this time with a right final turn. At 15:06 UTC, the pilot reported overhead the field at 2000 feet, and Parma Tower authorized another touch-and-go for runway 20, providing wind information (4 knots from 330°).
During the maneuver, as the aircraft approached the right base leg for runway 20, the tower lost visual contact due to the silhouette of a hangar blocking the view. After a few minutes, the aircraft struck the ground in Baganzola, near a roundabout approximately 1000 meters northwest of the threshold of runway 20. The alarm was raised immediately by Parma Tower, and firefighting vehicles from the airport detachment responded.
Aircraft and Personnel
The aircraft was completely destroyed. Before impact, it collided with power line cables, causing one conductor to break and damaging two others out of seven.
The pilot-owner was a 57-year-old Italian male holding a valid PPL(A) license with current PA-46 and IR(SE)(SP) ratings expiring June 6, 2008. His total flight experience was not available. The examiner pilot was a 65-year-old Italian male holding a valid CPL(A) license with multiple ratings. He held a valid Class 1 medical certificate with a requirement for corrective lenses.
Injuries
All three occupants sustained fatal injuries: two crew members and one passenger.
Other Information
The accident occurred at 15:10 UTC (17:10 local time). The wreckage was moved from the accident site to an airport area made available by the Italian Air Force on April 24, 2008, when the ANSV conducted its on-site inspection.