- Date
- December 8, 2012, 15:13 local (15:13 UTC)
- Place
- Melbach, Germany
- Injuries
- 8 fatal
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- D-EUEUPiper PA-32-301D-EHJPAvions Pierre Robin - Centre DR 400/180
- Defining events
- Enroute: Midair collisionEnroute: Midair collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Lead agency
- Other
- Parties
- BFU
- Case key
- 85769
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Piper PA-32-301
Avions Pierre Robin - Centre DR 400/180
Factual narrative
On December 8, 2012, about 1513 coordinated universal time, a Piper PA-32, German registration, D-EUEU, and a Robin Regent DR400, German registration D-EHJP, collided while on cross country flights near Melbach, Germany. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and 4 passengers onboard the Piper and the pilot and 2 passengers onboard the Robin were fatally injured. The Piper originated from Stadtlohn-Vreden, Germany, and the Robin originated from Reichelsheim, Germany, at undetermined times. The German investigators received reports that these two aircraft collided in midair near Melbach, Germany. The 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 Accident Investigation Bundesstelle fuer Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU) Hermann-Blenk Strasse 16 38108 Braunschweig Germany
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- D-EUEU
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-301 (301)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-8106068
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Operator
- Not Provided by Authority
- Registered owner
- Not provided by Authority
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Departed
- EDLS · Stadtlohn-Vrede
- Destination
- EDFC · Aschaffenburg
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Registration
- D-EHJP
- Reported as
- Avions Pierre Robin - Centre DR 400/180 (180)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2181
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Operator
- Not Provided by Authority
- Registered owner
- Not provided by Authority
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Departed
- EDFB · Reichelsheim
- Destination
- EDFB · Reichelsheim
- Flight plan
- Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 170° at 2 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- EDDF