1962 Piper Apache PA-23 D-GIRL Accident Near Ebersecken, Switzerland

Overview and Flight Details On 14 April 1962, a Piper Apache PA-23 registered D-GIRL was being flown empty after a business trip from Malaga to Hannover. The aircraft departed Malaga at 0751 GMT, made intermediate landings at Barcelona and Lyon, and departed Lyon at 1919 in good weather. The pilot intended to fly instrument rules without further stops via Zurich and Frankfurt to Hannover. ## Accident Sequence At 8,000 ft, the aircraft entered a solid cloud layer before Bern, where severe icing developed. After descending to 6,000 ft, the right engine failed near Willisau. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft struck treetops and crashed from a low altitude near Ebersecken at approximately 2107. The pilot was seriously injured, the aircraft was destroyed, and ground damage was minor. ## Aircraft and Investigation Findings The aircraft was a two-engine, four-seat low-wing Piper Apache PA-23 with retractable landing gear, owned by ATLAS Handelsgesellschaft m.b.H. of Gütersloh. It was powered by two Lycoming O-320 engines of 150 hp each. The investigation identified a defect in the right engine's fuel system that may have contributed to carburetor icing. The aircraft had been previously registered in the United States as N-2263-P.