Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mte near Bukovac: 17 killed
Date & Time:
Oct 22, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
D-AYGX
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Vienna – Budapest – Belgrade – Sofia – Thessaloniki – Athens
MSN:
7208
YOM:
1941
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
While passing over Novi Sad, descending to Belgrade-Zemun Airport, the captain encountered marginal weather conditions with low clouds. Some five km east of Bukovac, the three-engine airplane named 'Johannes Höroldt' impacted the north slope of Mt Fruška Gora (380 metres high). The wreckage was found less than 30 metres below the summit and all 17 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain. It appears that weather information transmitted to the crew were erroneous and did not reflect the reality. At the time of the accident, the cloud base was lower than the 600-metres base previously announced.
