What happened
On July 28, 2020, at approximately 15:45 local time, a BÜ 131 APM (registration HB-UVB) was operating a private flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at the Gruyère Aerodrome (LSGT). The flight was a local circuit, departing from and returning to the same airfield.
The incident began when the pilot performed an unstable landing on runway 35. Following this unsuccessful approach, the pilot elected to initiate a takeoff attempt. During the initial climb phase of this second attempt, the aircraft veered off course and struck trees located in a clearing to the right of the runway.
While the aircraft was heavily damaged and several trees were broken in the process, both the pilot and the single passenger remained uninjured.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) opened an inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision. The investigation focused on the sequence of events following the initial unstable landing and the subsequent departure from the runway environment.