Location: CRL/EBCI

Photo: collection Skystef

Description: this second hand Piper was registered on June 20 1978 to Aviation de Tourisme Carolorégien (ATC), an aeroclub created on September 19 1977 as Beumier-Estorez Aviation and renamed to ATC on the same day when this particular aircraft was registered. It was based at Charleroi airport and is here seen such in a livery with small "Aero Club de Charleroi" titles on the backside (see also upper left inset), a local flying club which was established on May 18 1978 to which this airframe was leased to from the late seventies onwards. On February 18 1982 it moved on to Royal Motor Union Aviation based at Liège airport. On February 23 1985 it was damaged on a hard landing at Shoreham (U.K.) and was afterwards for a while laid up at Grimbergen airfield awaiting repairs which were completed on January 17 1986 when air tested. Shortly afterwards it was again involved in an accident on March 29 1986 at Hélesmes (near Valenciennes-Denain airport in France) when due to weather circumstances it had to divert and the pilot made a mistake by forgetting to switch the empty fuel tank and thus the engine stopped running and made emergency landing in a field. It arrived disassembled at Liège airport a few weeks later on April 12. On this occasion it was not repaired and was later transported to Brussels Airport, Namur airport and finally Charleroi airport, last noted over there on February 2 1995. It was cancelled from the register on October 10 2022.