Incident Overview
On May 19, 1977, at approximately 16:01 MEZ, a Cessna F 172 H with registration HB-CUW was involved in an accident at Bern Airport. The aircraft, owned by Alpar AG of Kehrsatz, was conducting a commercial sightseeing flight with three passengers on board. The pilot, who held a restricted license for commercial pilots, requested landing clearance for Runway 32.
Flight Phase and Collision
The pilot intended to land shortly after the runway threshold to exit via the second taxiway on the right, thereby clearing the runway quickly for two other aircraft in the approach. During the final approach with flaps extended to 20 degrees and a speed of 75–80 mph, the pilot reduced power to idle. As the aircraft approached the runway, it was positioned low over a public road that crosses the runway axis near the threshold. Several vehicles were present on this road, including a tractor with a grass loader on the left and stationary cars on the right.
The pilot observed the traffic but focused primarily on the tractor. The aircraft struck the roof of a car traveling at approximately 20 km/h. The impact sheared off the nose gear. The pilot maintained control using pitch authority without increasing engine power, touching down with the main landing gear after the threshold. The propeller contacted the ground 242 meters past the threshold as the nose pitched down, and the aircraft came to rest in the grass 275 meters beyond the threshold.
Investigation Findings
The investigation found no technical defects in the aircraft, which was within weight and balance limits. Weather conditions were favorable with good visibility and light winds. The accident report highlighted issues with the road barrier system. Although regulations required barriers to be closed for every landing on Runway 32, the air traffic controller left them open due to heavy traffic that would have been blocked if closed. The barrier system lacked adequate acoustic or optical warning signals, and the distance between barriers was insufficient to allow vehicles to clear the runway area safely.
Probable Cause
The accident resulted from a pilot decision error during flight, specifically an inadequate altitude over the road crossing, combined with one-sided monitoring of obstacles. Contributing factors included non-compliant road signage and an ineffective barrier installation that failed to provide adequate warning or clearance for vehicles.