Heidelberg | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The twin engine aircraft was approaching Mannheim Airport following an uneventful flight from Vienna-Schwechat. The pilot encountered poor visibility due to fog and failed to realize his altitude was too low when the aircraft struck a tall tree, stalled and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found on the slope of Mt Königstuhl, east of Heidelberg, about 17 km southeast of Mannheim Airport. A passenger was seriously injured while three other occupants were killed. Two weeks later, on December 7, the only survivor died from his injuries. On board were two pilots aged 34 and 29, and two passengers, Otto Rüdiger and Klaus O. Fleck, both head corporate of the Südzucker Group.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A near Heidelberg: 28 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1991 at 1137 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Classic Wings

Registration:

D-CCCC

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Egelsbach - Egelsbach

MSN:

7353

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

14965

Captain / Total hours on type:

775.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

9332

Copilot / Total hours on type:

373

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Egelsbach Airport in the middle morning on a local charter flight, carrying 29 passengers and a crew of three, among them a team who should make a TV movie on board. In flight, the captain left his seat and passengers came in the cockpit. The copilot was supposed to follow the Rhine River but distracted by discussions with the passengers, he mistook the Rhine with the Neckar River. Few minutes later, weather conditions deteriorated and the copilot decided to continue instead of returning. At an altitude of about 500 metres, he initiated a left turn when the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located in the forest of Hoher Nistler, about 5 km northeast of Heidelberg. Four passengers were seriously injured while 28 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The navigation under visual flight rules was completely neglected in the final minutes before the accident. As a result, the aircraft, unnoticed by the pilot at the controls, entered IFR conditions and flew over rising terrain.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The captain was distracted by interviews and video recordings in the cabin,
- The captain was not present in the cockpit at the time of the accident,
- The visibility was severely reduced by dark films attached to the inside of the windshields.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland U-6A Beaver in Heidelberg: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 28, 1969

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Heidelberg – Grafenwöhr

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from runway 08 at Heidelberg AFB, while climbing, the airplane struck tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located on the slope of Mt Königstuhl, about 5 km east of the airfield. Both pilots and a passenger were killed while two other passengers were injured.
Those killed were:
Cpt Ronald B. Barlow, pilot,
Cpt Claude R. Grover, copilot,
DAC John F. Irwin.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL near Heidelberg

Date & Time: May 6, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

43-15676

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

20142

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Enroute, the aircraft collided with another airplane (identification unknown). The crew decided to abandon the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in a field. All occupants escaped uninjured while the airplane was destroyed.

Probable cause:

In flight collision.