Bremen-Neuenland

On a flight from Bremen (EDDW) to Frankfurt-Egelsbach (EDFE), a Beechcraft King Air (F90) changed from IFR to VFR rules prior to the final approach, during which it collided with trees, crashing in a wood and catching fire. On board were the pilot and two passengers. The right hand cockpit seat was occupied by a passenger who conducted radio communications. The approach to runway 27 at EDFE was chosen and executed via the so-called High Performance Aircraft Approach (HPA-approach) as published in the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). From 1558 hrs onwards the aircraft was under control by Langen Radar (120.8 MHz), and radar contact was confirmed by the controller. After about six minutes the controller issued the instruction: “[call sign], report if able to cancel IFR”. Subsequently, further instructions were issued to descend to altitude 5,000 ft on QNH 1,012 hPa and fly towards Egelsbach entry point Hotel 1. About four minutes later the controller gave instructions to descend to 4,000 ft, then 3,000 ft. Simultaneously, clearance was given to fly from entry point Hotel 1 to Hotel 2 and then Hotel 3. When overhead entry point Hotel 2 at 1613 hrs, the King Air reported flight conditions as ‘Victor Mike Charlie’ (VMC – Visual Meteorological Conditions) and the switch to VFR (Visual Flight Rules). At this time, the radar recorded the aircraft’s ground speed as about 180 kt. Langen Radar confirmed the report and gave an instruction to continue the descent and report passing 1,500 ft. About 42 seconds later the pilot was instructed to contact Egelsbach Info (130.9 MHz). The radar trace indicated that at this time the aircraft was at an altitude of about 1,800 ft and about 5.5 NM from the airfield. The ground speed was about 180 kt. The first radio call from the Beech to Egelsbach Info took place about 15 seconds later at 1615:06 hrs, at an altitude of about 1,500 ft and ground speed of about 190 kt. Egelsbach Info gave the information that the aircraft was north of the approach centreline and asked for a course correction to the left. They further reported the wind as Easterly at 4 knots with Runway 27 in use. After the response “[call sign], thank you” Egelsbach Info responded: “lights and flashes are on“. During the subsequent approach, the aircraft ground speed reduced over a distance of about 1.3 NM from about 190 kt to about 130 kt (distance to aerodrome about 3 NM). The radar trace indicates that from a position of 3.7 NM from the aerodrome to 2.5 NM from the aerodrome, the aircraft descended from 1,500 ft to 1,000 ft.At about 1616:03 hrs Egelsbach Info advised: “[…]coming up onto centreline”. This was acknowledged with “[call sign]”, following which Egelsbach Info advised: “you are now on centreline”. This was acknowledged with “thank you very much“. The radar trace indicates that at this time the aircraft descended from 900 ft to 800 ft. When Egelsbach Info advised “check your altitude”, the aircraft was at an altitude of about 800 ft. After a further two seconds, at 1616:18 hrs, the radar data indicated the aircraft height as about 700 ft; there was no more indication on the radar screen afterwards. In this area, the terrain is about 620 ft, with trees extending to about 700 ft AMSL. At 1616:24 hrs the aircraft was requested by Egelsbach Info to alter course slightly to the right. Neither a reply was received to this request nor to a subsequent transmission from Egelsbach Info about 22 seconds later. Egelsbach Info assumed there had been a crash and alerted the emergency services, the first of which arrived at the accident site at about 1638 hrs and found a burning wreck.

The single engine aircraft departed Wangerooge Island Airport on a private flight to Bremen, carrying four passengers and one pilot. Following a takeoff roll of about 300 metres from runway 28, the aircraft lifted off and entered a high angle of attack. It rolled to the left and crashed in a drainage ditch located about 340 metres from the departure point. All five occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed. Both people seating in the cockpit were seriously injured as the cockpit was destroyed by impact forces.

Following an uneventful ferry flight from Braunschweig, the crew was cleared to land on runway 27 at Bremen-Neuenland Airport. After touchdown, the crew started the braking procedure and activated the reverse thrust systems on both engines. At a speed of 60 knots, the aircraft deviated to the right so the captain applied left rudder. The aircraft turn 15° to the left so the captain applied right rudder when the aircraft turned 135° to the right. This turn was so abrupt that it caused the left main gear to collapse. The aircraft rolled for about 1,150 metres before coming to rest. All three crew members evacuated uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While approaching Paris-Roissy-CDG Airport by night, at a distance of 13 km from runway 27 threshold, the crew was instructed by ATC to modify the approach trajectory and to descent to runway 28. This late request was necessary because runway 27 was just closed to traffic after a Korean Air B747 contacted the runway surface with its engine n°1. While completing a left turn, the airplane lost height and crashed in a field located 1,800 metres short of runway. Four passengers were killed while 19 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced between 700 and 1,400 metres due to light fog and rain. The copilot was in command and it is believed the crew was disturbed by the late runway change. While on descent heading 265°, 100 seconds before FDR stopped recording, at an altitude of 1,600 feet and a speed of 170 knots, both engine torques were at 20%. Twenty seconds later, both engines torque dropped to zero and the automatic pilot system was deactivated. At this time, the flaps were retracted. The sink rate increased then the aircraft entered a nose-up attitude with its speed decreasing. The aircraft struck the ground at a speed of 110 knots and crashed.

The 614 had been designed with servo-tab elevators, control and trim tabs on the rudder, and spring and trim tabs on the ailerons. The result of this was a very complex mathematical model of vibration characteristics, which was not complete by the time of the first flight. This was accordingly limited to a maximum indicated airspeed of 140kt and an altitude of 3,000ft, Flight tests were pushed out towards the edges of the envelope: 330 kt IAS, Mach 0-74 diving speed; 285 kt IAS, Mach 0-65 V M O . Real-time data monitoring and transmission was used to assist in observing the flights. Flying went ahead cautiously in the second half of 1971, because ground-resonance testing of the 614 was not showing full correlation with prediction. As the envelope was extended small explosive charges—"bonkers"—were used to stimulate flutter conditions. The most serious flutter problem centred on the elevators. At 260 kt IAS and 10,000ft and above, the firing of asymmetric bonkers on the elevator caused a 3sec flutter phase. This was stopped either by a reduction in speed or a permanent distortion of the tailplane structure. Apart from the restriction caused by the flutter problem, the first 614 cleared the flight envelope to 260 kt IAS and 25,000ft, for lateral, directional and longitudinal stability. The accident to the first aircraft occurred after it had been fitted with flutter dampers. The effect of these was to re-introduce the asymmetric flutter at 220 kt and 10,000ft on a check flight. This time the flutter could not be eliminated by slowing down and the crew abandoned the aircraft. The aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a field near Bremen-Neuenland Airport. Two occupants were rescued while the copilot Hans Bardill was killed when his parachute failed to open.
Source: Flight International

The JetStar was executing a visual approach to Bremen following an IFR ferry flight from Cologne Airport (CGN). At the same time a Piaggio P.149D trainer aircraft of the Lufthansa Flying School took off from Bremen. The student pilot was flying under the 'hood' in order to simulate an IFR training mission. The JetStar collided head on with a Piaggio P.149D. The Piaggio crashed but the JetStar managed to carry out an emergency landing at Bremen. The JetStar had suffered substantial damage to the underside of the flight deck. The undercarriage could not be deployed and one of the engines had lost power. A belly landing was carried out on the grass next to the runway.

Shortly after takeoff from Bremen-Neuenland Airport, while climbing to a height of about 150 feet, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed. All four occupants were killed, one Canadian and three German citizens. They were engaged in a local test flight when the accident occurred for undetermined reason.

The aircraft was operating a scheduled service of Deutsche Lufthansa on the route Frankfurt - Bremen - Hamburg under flight number LH 005. Scheduled time of departure in Frankfurt: 1625 hours GMT, scheduled time of arrival at Bremen: 1745 hours GMT. Actually, the aircraft took off at 1641 hours GMT. The last phase of the flight can be roughly reconstructed from the tape recordings, the evidence given by the witnesses and the position of the wreckage as follows:
17.41 GMT Descending from flight level 60 and clearance for ILS approach to runway 27 at Bremen.
17.44 GMT Passing of radio beacon Bremen outbound.
17.48 GMT Passing of radio beacon Bremen inbound on final approach.
17.49.37 GMT The aircraft was seen for the first time by witnesses about 1 000 m approximately before the threshold of runway 27 near the middle marker; later it was observed by the control tower with its landing gear extended and the landing lights turned on.
17.50.15 GMT About 1 200 m after the threshold of runway 27, close to the intersec- approximately tion of runways 27/09 and 32/14, the aircraft went round again at an altitude of about 30 ft above ground with a compass course of about 2700.
17.50.40 GMT With a pitch of about 300 to 600 and the left wing forward the aircraft approximately crashed on the ground in the opposite direction to runway 27, about 385 m west of the end of runway 27 and about 380 m south of the runway centre line.
The aircraft was totally destroyed and none of the 46 occupants survived.

Just after liftoff, the right engine failed. The airplane stalled and crashed. All four crew members were injured and the aircraft was written off.

The crew left Bremen Airport at the end of the afternoon to deliver the aircraft to Aero O/Y in Finland, with an intermediate stop in Stockholm-Bromma. While overflying Denmark, the crew encountered a fuel exhaustion and was forced to attempt an emergency landing in a snow field located 1,600 meters south of Køge. On touchdown, the aircraft overturned and came to rest upside down. While all three crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was written off.