What happened
On July 4, 1973, at approximately 17:57 CEST, a Piper J3C, registration HB-OUV, departed from the grass runway 32 R at Bern Airport. The flight was a solo training mission conducted by a student pilot under the radio supervision of an instructor. The objective was to perform a turn followed by a landing.
The approach was initially stable and aligned with the runway centerline. As the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 6 meters, the pilot reduced engine power to begin the landing flare. At a speed of roughly 63 mph, the aircraft entered a high angle of attack at an altitude of 1.5 to 2 meters. At this point, the aircraft tipped to the left. At 18:02, the left main gear and tailwheel struck the grass runway. The aircraft then veered 270 degrees to the right during the rollout, coming to a stop 50 meters past the landing threshold. There were no injuries to the pilot, but the aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's credentials, the aircraft's airworthiness, and the environmental conditions. The student pilot held a valid student pilot certificate with radio authorization and had nearly 40 hours of total flight time. The instructor was properly licensed and maintained VHF contact with the student throughout the flight.
Technical inspections revealed that the Piper J3C was airworthy and had no pre-existing mechanical defects. Weather conditions at the time involved light haze, visibility between 5 and 10 km, and light turbulence, with temperatures near 29°C.
Findings
- The pilot experienced a period of solar glare during the final approach.
- The pilot noted that the flare began too high, and instead of applying power to correct the altitude, the pilot attempted to let the aircraft descend through momentum.
- The primary cause of the accident was excessive floating during the landing, which led to the aircraft falling below its minimum flying speed and subsequently stalling/wing-dropping.