Aero AT-3 R100 accident at Bern-Belp (HB-SRC)

Overview and Flight Details On 15 August 2017, an Aero AT-3 R100 with registration HB-SRC was destroyed during a training flight at Bern-Belp (LSZB). The aircraft was operated by Alp-Air Bern AG and owned by Alp-Aircraft GmbH. The flight was a visual flight rules (VFR) training exercise involving a student pilot and an instructor. The student pilot, a Swiss citizen born in 1968, had a total of 20:39 hours of flight experience, all on the type, and 0:35 hours of solo flight time. ## Sequence of Events The flight began at 14:13 local time with a takeoff from runway 32. The student pilot was conducting a circuit and a touch-and-go landing. During the approach, the aircraft touched down with the main gear at a ground speed of 54 knots, bounced, and touched down again with all three wheels. The student pilot then decided to perform a go-around. The aircraft pitched up and suddenly turned to the left. The student pilot was unable to stabilize the aircraft and lost control. The left wingtip struck the concrete runway, and the aircraft left the runway at a very low altitude, heading toward a grass taxiway. The aircraft struck the grassy ground several times before colliding with the ground and coming to rest. No fire occurred. The student pilot was lightly injured and exited the cockpit by his own means. ## Aircraft and Environmental Conditions The aircraft was a single-engine, two-seat, low-wing metal airplane with fixed landing gear and a nose wheel. It was powered by a Bombardier ROTAX S12 S2 piston engine with mixed air/water cooling and a three-blade ELPROP propeller. The maximum authorized mass was 582 kg for takeoff and landing. The mass and center of gravity were within the limits prescribed by the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM). The last annual and 100-hour inspection was performed on 26 July 2017. The weather at the time of the accident was sunny and hot, with some high-altitude clouds. The wind was from 290 degrees at 8 knots, variable between 260 and 320 degrees. The temperature was 27 degrees Celsius, and the dew point was 15 degrees Celsius. The QNH was 1020 hPa. The accident occurred on the main runway 32 of the Bern-Belp airport. The aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was triggered during the impact and was switched off by the rescuers.