Zone
Berlin

Crash of a Junkers JU.90A-1 in Brauna: 29 killed

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1940 at 1502 LT
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.90
Operator:
Registration:
D-AVMF
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Berlin – Budapest
MSN:
900010
YOM:
1940
Location:
Brauna
Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
23
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
29
Circumstances:
The four engine airplane named 'Brandenburg' departed Berlin-Tempelhof Airport at 1424LT on a schedule service to Budapest, carrying 23 passengers and six crew members. At 1448LT, the radio operator informed ground he was flying at an altitude of 2,200 metres in clouds and reported icing conditions two minutes later. Then the airplane initiated a descent and uncontrolled manoeuvres when it eventually crashed in an open field located some 300 metres from Brauna. All 29 occupants were killed, among them the German Musician and Journalist Adolf Raskin.
Probable cause:
The cause of the crash is believed by the Accident Investigation Board to be icing between the external balance and the elevator fin end cap and blockage of the altitude control system in the depressed position, which, together with the severe degradation of flight characteristics due to the thickness of the ice, made it impossible to control the aircraft. About 30 minutes after the accident, a layer of 15 to 20 millimetres of ice was still present on critical surfaces.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-220 in Berlin: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
D-AAIH
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
1973
YOM:
1937
Location:
Berlin-Tempelhof
Berlin
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
On final approach to Berlin-Tempelhof Airport, the crew encountered low visibility due to poor weather conditions. The twin engine aircraft impacted the ground short of runway and crashed. Both pilots were killed while all other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mlu on Mt Grosser Arber: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1939 at 1415 LT
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
I-BAUS
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Rome – Venice – Munich – Berlin
MSN:
4063
YOM:
1935
Location:
Mt Grosser Arber
Bavaria
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The three engine airplane was completing a flight from Rome to Berlin with intermediate stops in Venice and Munich, carrying 17 passengers and a crew of four. The aircraft departed Munich-Riem Airport at 1300LT bound for Berlin. A little more than an hour into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 1,000 metres, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds when the aircraft crashed on the slope of Mt Grosser Arber located 48 km northeast of Straubing. Five passengers were killed while 16 other occupants were injured.
Those killed were:
Dr. Alexander Schulz,
Irmgard Zeller,
Franz Gareis,
Wolfgang Eduard Zorrer,
Gerda Strebenz.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-194D in Amsterdam: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1938 at 1841 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
PH-ARY
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Berlin – Amsterdam
MSN:
2021
YOM:
1938
Location:
Amsterdam-Schiphol
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
On approach to Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport at night, the aircraft named 'Ijsvogel' impacted the ground at full power, slid for 125 metres and came to rest across a ditch. The aircraft was destroyed. Four crew members and two passengers were killed while 13 other occupants were injured.
Crew:
J. J. E. Duimelaar, pilot, †
A. van Gemeren, copilot, †
A. J. van Huut, engineer, †
C. J. W. Surber, radio operator, †
B. Eys, steward.
Passengers:
R. G. Clyman,
W. A. Fairclough,
L. St. C. Ingrams,
J. Miller,
M. Schneider Desnitzky-Kirchbach, †
A. Silberstein,
M. Silberstein,
I. V. Weideman,
P. O. H. Weideman,
B. Weideman-Marx, †
F. Winter,
M. Winter,
F. Zimmerman.
Probable cause:
Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. No evidence was found of any preimpact mechanical failure and the weather conditions were not considered as a contributory factor. The crash may have been caused by a crew 'error'.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 near Schriesheim: 10 killed

Date & Time: Nov 12, 1937 at 1657 LT
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Registration:
D-AXAV
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Berlin – Mannheim
MSN:
1830
YOM:
1936
Location:
Schriesheim
Baden-Württemberg
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
While descending to Mannheim Airport, the crew encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions. On final approach, the airplane was off course when, at an altitude of 1,500 feet and at a speed of 430 km/h, it impacted the east slope of Mt Weisser Stein located near Schriesheim, some 15 km east of Mannheim Airport. Two passengers were seriously injured and 10 other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Friedrich Günther, pilot, †
Jakob Thaler, radio operator. †
Passengers:
Gustav Adolf Stoltze, †
Adolf Hörner, †
Eugen Wallenstädter, †
Mr. Steegen, †
Max Kornbaum, †
Alois Bender, †
Wolfgang Ullmann, †
Vinzens Wagner, †
Walter Egeli,
H. Duisberger.
Probable cause:
No mechanical anomalies were found on the aircraft, engines and instruments. At the time of the accident, the airplane was not following the proper approach path for Mannheim Airport, probably following a navigational error favored by the foggy conditions.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Hanover

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1936 at 1822 LT
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
D-ATAK
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
London – Berlin
MSN:
5169
YOM:
1935
Location:
Hanover
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Croydon to Berlin, the crew encountered severe icing conditions. The captain decided to divert to Hanover for a safe landing but on approach, he was forced to attempt and emergency landing. The three engine airplane named 'Marschall von Bieberstein' crash landed in an open field and came to rest, bursting into flames. All 15 occupants evacuated, among them seven were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
Icing.

Crash of a Heinkel He.70 F2 in Dresden: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.70
Operator:
Registration:
D-UZON
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Dresden – Berlin
MSN:
907
YOM:
1935
Location:
Dresden-Klotzsche
Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Dresden-Klotzsche Airport, while in initial climb, the airplane banked left, lost height and crashed in a field just past the runway end. Both occupants were killed, among them General Walther Wever, Chief of Staff of the Air Force of the Wehrmarcht, and his flight engineer. He was en route to Berlin to take part to the funeral of the General Karl Litzmann who passed away at the end of May.
Crew:
Gen Walther Wever, pilot,
Cpl Kraus, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the accident was the consequence of a crew error. General Walther Wever, pilot, arrived at the airport in a hurry following a conference and elected to take off quickly for Berlin. Doing so, he failed to prepare the airplane properly and forgot to unlock the pins that were used to lock the ailerons before departure, making the plane uncontrollable.

Crash of a Junkers W.34fao in Berlin: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1935 at 1130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Junkers W.34
Operator:
Registration:
D-ONAS
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Berlin - Berlin
MSN:
2701
YOM:
1931
Location:
Berlin-Tempelhof
Berlin
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Berlin-Tempelhof Airport at 1115LT on a local test flight, carrying five engineers and one pilot. About 15 minutes into the flight, while cruising over the city of Berlin, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed onto a house located in the district of Neukölln, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found about 3 km east of Tempelhof Airport. The house located 58 Lahnstrasse as well as the aircraft were totally destroyed. All six occupants on board the aircraft as well as two people in the house were killed.

Crash of a Rohrbach Ro.VIII Roland II in Świdwin

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1935 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Rohrbach Ro.VIII Roland
Operator:
Registration:
D-AJYP
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Gdańsk – Berlin
MSN:
45
YOM:
1928
Location:
Świdwin
Pomeranian Voivodeship (Pomorskie)
Country:
Poland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The three engine airplane departed Gdańsk in the afternoon on a flight to Berlin, carrying one passenger and two crew members. En route, the fuselage suffered a structural failure. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed in a field in Świdwin. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft named 'Schönberg' was destroyed.
Crew:
Cpt Otto Billuhn, pilot,
Mr. Würfet, mechanic.
Passenger:
Mr. Rolfenbühr.
Probable cause:
Structural failure in flight.

Crash of a Focke-Wulf A.16c in Polkowice: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1933
Type of aircraft:
Focke-Wulf A.16
Operator:
Registration:
D-659
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wrocław – Berlin
MSN:
8
YOM:
1924
Location:
Polkowice
Lower Silesian Voivodeship (Dolnośląskie)
Country:
Poland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Breslau-Gandau Airport on a flight to Berlin, carrying various radio equipment. The pilot Wilhelm Przibilla, owner of the company, was sole on board. En route, he encountered technical problems when the impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area located in Barschau (now Barszów), near Polkowice. The pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
Unknown technical problems.
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