Crash of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver AL1 in Datteln: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 14, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XP807
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
1457
YOM:
1961
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Crashed during thunder storm . The aircraft was seen to leave cloud in a steep dive, whereupon a wing folded and the crash occurred. It was believed that the aircraft had suffered inadvertent 'negative G' during the thunderstorm activity and as a result the bottom wing strut bolt had sheered, thus the wing was no longer correctly braced. It is believed that the US Military Beaver fleet had also suffered a number of similar fatal accidents under these circumstances.