Overview
On 16 February 1961, a Piper J3C (registration HB-OCW) operated by Aéroclub Suisse section Fricktal crashed during a forced landing near Attenschwiller, Haut-Rhin, France. The single pilot was uninjured, while the aircraft sustained damage estimated at 20–25% of its value.
Flight Details
The aircraft departed Sisseln, Switzerland at 1520 UTC for a flight to Grenchen, Switzerland, where it landed at 1608 UTC. After a brief stop, it departed Grenchen at 1638 UTC for the return leg to Sisseln, accompanied by another Piper Cub (HB-ONH). The visibility was excellent at departure. The pilot flew heading 070 toward Soleure, then turned north toward the Rhine River. While maintaining 4,500 feet to clear the Jura mountains, the pilot observed fog in the Rhine valley.
Accident Sequence
Flying north toward the Rhine, the pilot encountered deteriorating visibility near Arlesheim (3 km). He continued toward Basel, intending to divert to Basel-Mulhouse Airport, but the airport was also fogged in. After two or three circling maneuvers, the pilot decided on a forced landing and spotted a suitable field near Attenschwiller, about 5 km southwest of the airport. The field measured approximately 200 m by 100 m, bordered by a line of fruit trees on the right, a dense tree line on the far side, and trees on the left.
During the landing, the tailwheel touched first, leaving a 2-meter mark. The main gear contacted 14 meters further. After rolling about 20 meters, the right wingtip struck a tree, then 10 meters later the right wing struck a second tree (12–15 cm diameter) about 1 meter from its attachment. The impact swung the aircraft around 180°, and it came to a stop. The second aircraft (HB-ONH) continued to Sisseln and landed without incident.
Aircraft Damage
Right wing: leading edge crushed at 1.20 m from tip with deformed ribs, torn fabric on lower surface. At 1 m from fuselage, main spar broken in three places, wing structure shattered and separated; rear spar broken in three places; aileron fabric torn; two lift struts bent.
Probable Cause
A rapid decrease in visibility forced the pilot to make a forced landing, during which the accident occurred.
Pilot Information
The pilot (born 1915, German) held a Swiss restricted professional pilot license valid until 16 June 1961. He had about 300 total flight hours, including 200 on type. His last flight prior to this accident was in November 1960; he had flown 35 minutes in the preceding 48 hours. He had one previous accident: a ground loop during a tailwind landing in 1954 at Sisseln.