Description

On 27 September 2012, the two pilot crew of a civil-registered Pilatus PC9/B being operated from Neubrandenburg airport by a private company under contract to the German Federal Armed Forces lost control of their aircraft whilst engaged in facilitation of target practice for ground forces in day VMC when it hit a medium sized bird at high speed and at low level. Control was not regained and the aircraft crashed and was destroyed nearby killing both pilots.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the German Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (Germany) (BFU). The accident aircraft was not fitted with flight recorders - nor it was required to be, but the military authorities made their secondary radar recording available to the Investigation. The private company operating the aircraft specialised in conducting aerial target and test flights for military purposes within Germany and did not - and was not required to - hold an Air Operator Certificate.

It was found that the aircraft involved had been the trailing one in a 2-ship formation which had taken off from Neubrandenburg in order to transit to a military exercise area approximately 20 nm south east of the city of Rostock approximately 45 minutes prior to the crash. In accordance with normal practice, only the lead aircraft had been operating its transponder and communicating by R/T but its commander had confirmed to ATC that the aircraft would be remaining within half a mile of each other "most of the time".