Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-24-260 accident near Rechberghausen, De, January 18, 2015
On January 18, 2015 at about 2:55 pm local time, a Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-24-260, registered DEERZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Rechberghausen. 2 people were 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 18, 2015 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- Rechberghausen, Germany
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-24-260 · all PA-24-260s on the register
- Registration
- DEERZ · no longer on the register · serial 24-4920
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 18, 2015, about 1455 coordinated universal time, a Piper PA-24-260 airplane, German registration D-EERZ, collided with a house near Rechberghausen, Germany. The pilot and passenger were both fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the German government. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the German government. 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 maneuvering defining event
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.