Accident Sequence
The pilot, accompanied by his wife as a passenger, intended to fly from Luzern-Beromünster airfield to Geneva-Cointrin for refueling and filing a flight plan to an international destination. The aircraft carried vacation luggage.
For departure on runway 34, the pilot employed the short-field takeoff procedure common to this aircraft type: flaps set to position 2, brakes applied, full power, then brakes released. A witness with aviation expertise observed that the elevator was held significantly in the nose-up position during the takeoff roll.
After approximately 300 meters of ground roll over soft, wet grass, the aircraft lifted off at a high angle of attack. About 80 meters further, it briefly touched the ground again in the area of a crossroad. The pilot did not abort the takeoff. The aircraft became airborne once more with an unchanged steep nose-up attitude and overflew a first maize field approximately 2.5 meters high; the tail lightly contacted the maize plants. Over the following section, the pilot attempted to reduce the angle of attack to gain speed. However, the obstacle clearance area of about 300 meters was insufficient to reach a safe climb speed. The aircraft stalled and, rotating about its vertical axis, descended into a second maize field.
The entire sequence was observable from the airfield. The occupants exited the aircraft without assistance.
Examination
The pilot held a valid private pilot license. No evidence suggested any physiological impairment during the flight. The aircraft was properly maintained and certified for VFR flight. No pre-existing technical defects were found, and the pilot reported no malfunctions. Mass and balance were within prescribed limits.
Weather at the accident site and time, as reported by the Swiss Meteorological Institute, included: 2/8 cloud cover with base around 3500 m, visibility 3-5 km, wind variable around 2 knots, temperature 14°C, dewpoint 12°C, QNH 1022 hPa. Sun azimuth 129°, elevation 31°.
The pilot had accumulated 873:02 total flight hours, with 400 hours on type and 9:46 in the last 90 days. He had previously performed only two takeoffs with flaps in position 2 and had never practiced this procedure with a flight instructor.