What happened
On May 8, 1965, a Piper Cub L4A, registration HB-ODN, was involved in an accident during a training maneuver at a military airfield. The aircraft was performing a towed landing, a procedure used for flight instruction, when the pilot lost control of the aircraft's flight path.
The investigation
The investigation established the sequence of events leading to the impact. During the landing phase, the student pilot attempted to manage the aircraft's descent by simultaneously applying a correction to the elevator and reducing engine power. This combination of inputs caused the aircraft to lose sufficient lift and sink toward the ground.
Findings
As the aircraft descended, it struck the ground and subsequently overturned. The primary cause of the accident was the simultaneous application of altitude control corrections and power reduction by the student pilot, which resulted in the aircraft dropping abruptly to the surface.
Results
The pilot involved in the incident escaped without any injuries. However, the Piper Cub L4A suffered significant structural damage, estimated at approximately 25 percent of its total value.