Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-30 accident near Rockenhausen, De, January 26, 2015
On January 26, 2015 at about 10:32 am local time, a Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-30, registered DGHFW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Rockenhausen. 1 person was killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 2015 · about 10:32 am local time
- Place
- Rockenhausen, Germany
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-30 NO SERIES · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- DGHFW · no longer on the register · serial 30-1326
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 26, 2015, about 1032 coordinated universal time, a Piper PA-30 airplane, D-GHFW, crashed under unknown circumstances near Rockenhausen, Germany. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the pilot fatally injured. The airplane departed Annemasse Aerodrome, Annemasse, France, at an unconfirmed time, and was en route to Mainz Finthen Airport, Mainz, Germany, at the time of the incident. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU). This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the government of the Germany. 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
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute (cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: LFLI Annemasse
- Destination: EDFZ Mainz
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.