On November 7, 1983, a Partenavia P.68 (registration HB-LNK) operated by Private Switzerland was involved in an aviation accident near Strasbourg-Entzheim, France during takeoff. 2 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The loss of control seems to be essentially due to the spatial disorientation from which the pilot must have suffered when entering the cloud layer only a few seconds after rotation, disorientation which led him to follow an erratic trajectory both in heading… This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A twin-engine aircraft on a private flight from Strasbourg-Entzheim to Paris-Le Bourget crashed shortly after takeoff, killing both occupants. The aircraft entered clouds and lost control, likely due to pilot spatial disorientation.
Accident
On a private flight from Strasbourg-Entzheim Airport to Paris-Le Bourget, a twin-engine aircraft carrying one pilot and one passenger departed from runway 23. During the initial climb, the aircraft twice crossed through clouds before entering a nose-down attitude. It crashed approximately one kilometer from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed, and both occupants were killed.
Investigation and Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be loss of control primarily due to spatial disorientation likely experienced by the pilot after entering the cloud layer seconds after rotation. This disorientation led to an erratic trajectory in both heading and altitude. The pilot's lack of IFR qualification and inexperience in instrument meteorological conditions were cited as contributing explanations. Additionally, the investigation could not rule out a possible autopilot malfunction that might have performed inappropriate maneuvers beyond the pilot's ability to counter, though the pilot was aware of the equipment's dysfunction.