Summary
On 24 July 1969, a Piper J3C aircraft registered as HB-ELO was involved in an accident at Wangen-Lachen aerodrome in Switzerland. The student pilot, who was flying solo, executed a go-around after a bounced landing but lost control. The aircraft struck reeds and came to rest in Lake Zurich. The pilot was not injured, but the aircraft sustained damage.
Investigation
The accident occurred at 1005 local time and was reported to the accident investigation bureau by the aircraft operator at 1045 the same day. The investigation, conducted in collaboration with the cantonal police, commenced at the aerodrome at 1430.
Personnel
The student pilot, born in 1950, held a valid student pilot certificate issued on 12 November 1968. Flight training began on 14 July 1969 at Wangen-Lachen. The student had accumulated 9 hours and 30 minutes of flight time and 84 landings on the Piper J3C, including 20 minutes and 3 landings solo on the day before the accident. The instructor, born in 1924, held a valid private pilot license with instructor qualification since 16 November 1953 and had approximately 4000 hours of flight experience.
Aircraft
The Piper J3C (registration HB-ELO) was owned and operated by Motorfluggruppe Zürich. It was powered by a Continental A-65 engine with a wooden propeller. The airworthiness certificate was issued on 25 April 1969 and valid until 10 May 1970. The airframe and engine had each accumulated 638 hours and 5 minutes since the last overhaul. The last periodic inspection was performed on 13 June 1969 after 586 hours and 35 minutes, and the last 100-hour check on 8 July 1969 after 624 hours and 30 minutes.
Aerodrome
Wangen-Lachen aerodrome is located on the left shore of Lake Zurich. It features a 500-meter by 18-meter hard surface runway oriented parallel to the shore (QFU 09-27), normally flanked by two grass strips approximately 20 meters wide each. On the day of the accident, the grass strips were visibly unmaintained and unusable. The distance between the runway centerline and the shoreline was about 70 meters. The area between the northern grass strip and the shore was covered with reeds approximately 2 meters high.
Weather
At the time of the accident, the sky was clear, wind calm, visibility greater than 20 kilometers, and air temperature +28°C.
Accident Narrative
The student had been released for solo flight the previous day. On the morning of the accident, after a check flight deemed satisfactory by the instructor, the student took off alone for a series of three circuits. After a go-around on the first circuit and a normal landing on the second, the student approached for the third landing slightly sideways. The aircraft touched down on two wheels about 70 meters from the threshold of runway 09, on the right side of the runway. Seeing the aircraft veering diagonally across the runway, the instructor, positioned near the touchdown point, radioed the student to correct the direction. The student was unable to regain the runway centerline and decided to go around. The aircraft took off towards the reeds on the left side of the field, striking them with the landing gear and then with the left wingtip. Slowed by the vegetation, the aircraft lost height and came to rest in the lake a few meters from the shore, in 0.8 meters of water, on its wheels with the nose pointing towards the bank.
Damage
The pilot was not injured. The aircraft sustained damage to the propulsion system (broken propeller, wrinkled cowling sheets), landing gear, and left wing.
Findings
Examination of the aircraft, particularly the directional control and wheel brakes, revealed no defects or deficiencies. The stabilizer trim was correct. Weight and center of gravity were within prescribed limits. Wangen-Lachen aerodrome was classified as category F1 under the federal aerodrome classification, which requires a usable area for takeoffs and landings extending 30 meters on each side of the centerline, with a minimum runway width of 30 meters for natural surface runways and 15 meters for hard surface runways.
Discussion
The student held a valid student pilot certificate. The aircraft had valid airworthiness and registration certificates. The condition of the aerodrome no longer met its category standards. Due to the unusable grass strips adjacent to the runway, the pilot had only an 18-meter wide hard surface for landing and the subsequent correction attempt. This space, considering the student's level of training and the characteristics of the tailwheel aircraft type—which is tricky to handle on hard surfaces—did not provide a satisfactory safety margin.
Conclusion
The accident was caused by a loss of control after a go-around initiated following a bounced landing.