Zone

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/mge on Mt Apuseni: 16 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NO+RH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
5264
YOM:
1935
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
16
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Bucharest-Otopeni Airport on a transfer flight, carrying 14 paratroopers and four crew members. In unclear circumstances, it crashed in the Apuseni Mountain Range, southwest of Cluj Napoca. Sixteen occupants were killed and two passengers were apparently able to bail out from an altitude of 2,000 metres and were found alive.
Crew:
Fw Fritz Werner, pilot,
Uffz Heinz Sawatzki, observer,
Gefr Albert Kanis, radio operator,
Uffz Karl-Heinz Grabau, mechanic.
Paratroopers:
Gefr Max Föhl, Max,
Ogfr Paul Grätsch,
Pvt Josef Halik,
Pvt Johann Minden,
Gefr Willi Nohns,
Gefr Joseph Nürnberger,
Gefr Hans Pemoller,
Uffz Gerhard Schiller,
Gefr Helmut Schultz,
Gefr Fritz Schulze,
Fw Charly Senger,
Gefr Paul Sommer.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident was the consequence of a navigation error.