Accident Description
On 1 July 1968, a Piper J3C aircraft, registered as HB-OWV, was involved in an accident in the Gürbetal region near Mühledorf, Bern. The flight was a training exercise during which a flight instructor was demonstrating a forced landing procedure.
Sequence of Events
During the demonstration, the flight instructor initiated a glide approach simulating an engine failure. He delayed the decision to abort the approach. When he finally attempted to apply full throttle just above the ground, the engine responded with a slight delay. This delay was sufficient to prevent a normal go-around, causing the aircraft to touch down in a beet field. The aircraft slid across the field before coming to a stop.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the impact and slide. The occupants, including the instructor and any other persons on board, were uninjured.