What happened
On December 21, 2019, at approximately 13:47 UTC, a Cirrus SR22T crashed into rising, forested terrain in the municipality of Fischhorn, Salzburg, Austria. The aircraft, registered in Germany, had departed from Bonn/Hangelar (EDKB) earlier that day with the pilot and two minor passengers on board, intending to fly to Zell am See (LOWZ).
Initially, the flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), with plans to transition to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) shortly after departure. To reach the destination, the pilot utilized the published cloud penetration procedure (RNP A). However, following the missed approach point (WZ803), the flight continued under VFR conditions despite extremely poor weather, characterized by low cloud ceilings, fog, snowfall, and sleet. While flying east, south of the Zell am See aerodrome, the aircraft collided with the terrain.
Emergency responders located the wreckage, which was found resting on its roof. The pilot was found restrained in the cockpit and was initially conscious but unresponsive. One minor passenger was rescued from the seat behind the pilot with injuries, while the second minor passenger was found under debris in the severed tail section of the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation was conducted by the Austrian Federal Safety Investigation Board (SUB) to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify contributing factors. Investigators analyzed witness statements, police reports from several local jurisdictions, and meteorological data. The investigation examined the pilot's weather briefings, the flight's transition from VFR to IFR procedures, and the specific weather conditions present at the time of the accident, including visibility and cloud height.