What happened
On October 16, 1963, a Cessna 172-B Sky Hawk, registration OY-ADW, departed Basel, Switzerland, bound for Lyon, France. The pilot, who had obtained his private pilot license only a few weeks prior, was accompanied by three family members. Approximately 80 minutes into the flight, while flying near Besançon, the aircraft encountered haze and fog banks that significantly reduced visibility.
During the period of poor visibility, the pilot lost all sense of orientation. Despite being able to hear radio transmissions from Geneva and Lyon, the pilot was unable to establish contact with these stations due to malfunctions in the aircraft's radio equipment. After flying for approximately three hours and facing critically low fuel levels, the pilot decided to perform an emergency landing in an open field near Chavornay, Switzerland.
At 14:45, the aircraft touched down in the Orbe plain. While the initial touchdown was successful, the aircraft struck the embankment of a field path approximately 70 meters into the landing roll. This impact caused the aircraft to bounce roughly 40 meters before coming to a complete stop. All four occupants remained uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's experience, the weather conditions, and the technical state of the aircraft. It was noted that the pilot had only begun flight training in June 1963 and had very limited flight hours. The investigation also reviewed the functionality of the onboard communication equipment and the terrain characteristics at the site of the landing.
Findings
- The pilot's flight experience was extremely limited, having earned his license less than a month before the accident.
- Loss of orientation occurred due to flying in visibility-reducing weather conditions (haze and fog) without sufficient experience to navigate the terrain.
- Technical issues with the aircraft's radio equipment hindered the pilot's ability to contact air traffic services for assistance.
- The emergency landing was necessitated by depleting fuel reserves.
- The damage to the aircraft was caused by the aircraft striking an uneven field path during the landing roll.