What happened
On July 24, 1969, at approximately 10:05 local time, a Piper J3C, registration HB-ELO, was performing solo training maneuvers at the Wangen Lachen airfield. After successfully completing a go-around on his first circuit and a normal landing on his second, the student pilot attempted a third landing.
During this final approach, the aircraft touched down approximately 70 meters from the threshold of runway 09, positioned on the right side of the paved surface and traveling diagonally across the runway. An instructor, observing the deviation from the centerline, radioed instructions to the student to correct the direction. Unable to regain the runway centerline, the pilot initiated a go-around. During the climb, the aircraft drifted toward the left edge of the airfield, striking tall reeds with the landing gear and the left wingtip. The vegetation caused the aircraft to lose altitude, ultimately resulting in the plane settling in the shallow waters of the lake, just meters from the shore.
The investigation
The investigation examined the mechanical condition of the Piper J3C, the flight experience of the student pilot, and the state of the airfield. Investigators found that the aircraft's steering, brakes, and stabilizer settings were all functioning correctly, and the weight and balance were within prescribed limits. The student pilot was flying under a valid student pilot certificate and had completed 9.5 hours of flight time.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a loss of control following a go-around initiated after a skewed landing.
- The airfield's safety margins were compromised because the grass strips flanking the paved runway were unmaintained and unusable. This effectively reduced the usable runway width to only 18 meters.
- The reduced width provided insufficient margin for a student pilot operating a tailwheel aircraft, which requires precise directional control on paved surfaces.