Incident Overview
On August 13, 2015, at approximately 11:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 with registration HB-PMR was destroyed in a collision with a maintenance hangar at the Ecuvillens airfield (LSGE) in Hauterive, Fribourg, Switzerland. The aircraft was operated by Air Fribourg Service SA and was on a private visual flight rules (VFR) flight from Bressaucourt back to Ecuvillens.
Flight Sequence and Accident Dynamics
The pilot, a French citizen born in 1946 holding an EASA Light Aircraft Pilot License (LAPL(A)), departed Ecuvillens at 10:20 LT. After initially heading toward Bressaucourt, the pilot diverted back to Ecuvillens due to weather conditions. During the final approach to runway 27, the aircraft touched down and experienced a rebound. The pilot initiated a go-around procedure but lost control of the aircraft's lateral position. Despite retracting flaps and applying power, the plane drifted left of the runway centerline while maintaining a nose-up attitude at low speed. The pilot failed to perceive the deviation until the hangar was visible directly ahead, resulting in an unavoidable impact with the sliding doors.
Casualties and Damage
Both occupants, the pilot and one passenger, sustained serious injuries. No other persons were injured. The aircraft was destroyed, and significant damage occurred to the hangar structure and other aircraft parked inside. Fuel leakage prompted immediate firefighting efforts by airfield staff, preventing a fire. The single-door design of the PA-28-181 complicated rescue operations, requiring partial cutting of the cockpit roof for evacuation.
Contributing Factors
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) identified several factors contributing to the accident: an approach with energy excess, uncertainty regarding procedures after a rebound, and pilot distraction while manipulating landing flaps. The investigation concluded that the collision resulted from a horizontal course deviation during a go-around initiated after a landing rebound, where control was lost.