Event and Flight Sequence
According to statements from the pilot and two passengers, the flight from Benesov (LKBE) to Zell am See (LOWZ) was a private flight and the pilot's first outside the Czech Republic. He had no experience flying in alpine terrain. He brought a flight instructor from his training as a safety pilot. After landing on runway 08 at about 12:01 UTC, the group spent several hours in town and returned by taxi. The pilot paid landing fees and obtained a weather briefing for the return flight. He filed a flight plan and performed a preflight inspection with no discrepancies. The aircraft was not refueled as sufficient fuel was available.
During the takeoff roll on runway 08, the pilot used the short-field takeoff procedure. The flaps were set to 25°, and the fuel selector was on the left tank. Approximately halfway down the runway, the pilot initiated liftoff and the aircraft became airborne, but after a few seconds it settled back onto the runway. Moments later, just before the runway end, it lifted off again. The aircraft did not gain altitude and drifted left at very low height. About 42 m past the runway end, it struck a barbed-wire fence about 0.8–1.0 m high. The aircraft touched down in a meadow approximately 100 m beyond the fence and rolled toward a water ditch parallel to the B311 highway. The remaining distance was insufficient to stop, and the aircraft collided with the opposite bank of the ditch. At impact, both control yokes were in the full aft position.
A fire broke out in the engine area immediately after the collision. Bystanders witnessed the accident, alerted emergency services, and helped control the fire. The rear-seat occupants exited the aircraft unassisted. Emergency crews arrived within minutes, extinguished the fire, extracted the remaining occupants, and provided initial first aid.
Injuries and Damage
All four occupants—the pilot, the safety pilot, and two passengers—sustained serious injuries. The safety pilot was not secured by a shoulder harness and was thrown forward violently, striking his head and face on the instrument panel. His upper body bent the right control yoke pushrod downward. He died on 3 August 2016 from his severe injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. Other damage was limited to vegetation.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 39, held a valid Private Pilot License (PPL(A)) with a single-engine piston (SEP) land rating and a Class 2 medical certificate valid until 11 April 2019. His total flight experience was approximately 70 hours, with about 8 hours on the Piper PA28. His flight time in the last 30 days was about 8 hours, and in the last 24 hours about 2 hours.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Piper PA28-161, registered in the Czech Republic and operated by a flight school. The investigation examined the airframe, engine, fuel system, and controls. The fuel selector was found set to the left tank. The flaps were extended to 25°.