# NTSB CEN09WA138: Piper PA-42-720, Konigstein, Germany, January 19, 2009

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Foreign investigation
- Date: January 19, 2009, 11:40 local (11:40 UTC)
- Place: Konigstein, Germany
- Coordinates: 50.116664, 8.683333 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=50.1167&lon=8.6833&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Led by another country's authority
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Lead agency: Other
- Parties: German BFU
- NTSB case key (mKey): 73259
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN09WA138
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73259/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09WA138

## Probable cause

This is under the jurisdiction and control of the German Government.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Other authority investigated (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-cruise: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,074 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/sequence.md)

## Analysis

On January 19, 2009, at 1140 coordinated universal time (1240 central European Time), a Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-42-720, German registered D-IDIA, owned by HELI Flight Flugschule Flugbetrieb GmbH, was destroyed when it impacted terrain under unknown circumstances near Konigstein, Hessen, Germany. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Frankfurt/Main, Germany, and was en route to Bad Nauheim, Germany. The German investigators reported that the airplane was destroyed when it flew "into terrain in bad weather." The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the German government. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the German government or German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bundesstelle fuer Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU) Hermann-Blenk Strasse 16 38108 Braunschweig Germany

## Factual narrative

On January 19, 2009, at 1140 coordinated universal time (1240 central European Time), a Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-42-720, German registered D-IDIA, owned by HELI Flight Flugschule Flugbetrieb GmbH, was destroyed when it impacted terrain under unknown circumstances near Konigstein, Hessen, Germany. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Frankfurt/Main, Germany, and was en route to Bad Nauheim, Germany. The German investigators reported that the airplane was destroyed when it flew "into terrain in bad weather." The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the German government. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the German government or German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bundesstelle fuer Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU) Hermann-Blenk Strasse 16 38108 Braunschweig Germany

## Aircraft

- Registration: DIDIA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-42-720
- Category: Airplane
- Engines: Pratt and Whitney Canada turbo prop; Pratt and Whitney Canada turbo prop
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Non-U.S., non-commercial
- Registered owner: HELI Flight Flugschule Flugbetrieb GmbH
- Departed: Frankfurt/Main
- Destination: Bad Nauheim
- Flight plan: Unknown

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day
- Wind: 90° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 700 ft broken
- Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter: 29.34 inHg
- Observed at: ETOU

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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