What happened
On the date of the accident, a private flight was conducting a VFR mission from Rendsburg-Schachtholm to Endelave. As the aircraft approached the destination, the pilot performed a visual assessment of the runway conditions at EKEL. During a low-altitude approach toward runway 2/20, the pilot executed a shallow descent and reduced engine power to initiate the flare.
Before reaching the threshold of runway 29, the aircraft made contact with a wheat field roughly 10 meters from the runway start. During this phase, the main landing gear struck an upward-sloping roadside located near a perpendicular road crossing. This impact caused the left main landing gear to collapse, leading to an uncontrolled veer to the left and causing the aircraft to depart the airstrip.
As the aircraft moved through the grass parking area, the left wing struck the nose gear of a stationary aircraft. The sequence of events concluded when the aircraft collided with a tree and a farm building. The impact triggered an intense fire that consumed the airframe. All four occupants sustained injuries during the event, and the aircraft was destroyed.
Findings
- The primary cause of the loss of control was the collision with an upslope roadside during the landing flare.
- The structural failure of the left main landing gear was a direct result of the impact with the roadside terrain.