# NTSB CEN13WA092: Piper PA-32-301, Melbach, Germany, December 8, 2012

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Foreign investigation
- Date: December 8, 2012, 15:13 local (15:13 UTC)
- Place: Melbach, Germany
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining events: [Enroute: Midair collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/250); [Enroute: Midair collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/250)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 8 fatal
- Status: Led by another country's authority
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Lead agency: Other
- Parties: BFU
- NTSB case key (mKey): 85769
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN13WA092
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/85769/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13WA092

## Sequence of events

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

- [Enroute: Midair collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/250) (defining event), aircraft 1; cases with it: [All aircraft, 196 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/250/sequence.md)
- [Enroute: Midair collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/250) (defining event), aircraft 2; cases with it: [All aircraft, 196 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/250/sequence.md)

## Factual narrative (aircraft 2)

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 1

- Registration: D-EUEU (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-32-301 (301)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 32-8106068
- 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

## Aircraft 2

- Registration: D-EHJP (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Avions Pierre Robin - Centre DR 400/180 (180)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 2181
- 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

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.