Burgas

Following an uneventful cargo flight from Burgas, the crew started a night approach to Asmara-Yohannes IV Airport. The visibility was relatively limited due to local patches of fog on approach. On final, at an altitude of 2,405 metres, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 4,3 km short of runway 25. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 10 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found 72 metres below the summit. Remains still present at N15.304268 E38.959811 by December 2012.

The twin engine airplane was engaged in an ambulance flight from Burgas to Stuttgart on behalf of the German Air Rescue Service (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht - DRF), carrying one German patient aged 63, three medical staff and two pilots. During initial climb, the crew contacted ATC and reported technical problems with the automatic pilot system. Shortly later, control was lost and the airplane crashed in an open field. The airplane was totally destroyed upon impact and all six occupants were killed. The exact cause of the autopilot system failure remains unknown. Nevertheless, it was reported that both pilots were intoxicated at the time of the accident, with an alcohol level of 0,48‰ et 0,37‰ respectively.

During the preflight briefing, the crew was informed about poor weather conditions in Sofia and that the visibility was below minima. The airplane departed Burgas Airport at 1901LT and en route, the captain decided to divert to Plovdiv where weather conditions were considered as better. First radio contact with approach control in Plovdiv was established at 1950LT and the crew was cleared to descent. Twelve minutes later, while descending by night and limited visibility, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the Rhodopes Mountain Range, near the city Smolyan. The wreckage was found few hours later about 56 km southwest of Plovdiv Airport. All 35 occupants have been killed.

The four engine aircraft departed Berlin-Schönefeld Airport at 1630LT on a charter flight to Burgas, carrying 148 passengers (144 East German citizens, three Austrians and one unknown nationality) and eight East-German crew members. Thirteen minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 29,200 feet, the crew informed ATC about technical problems and was cleared to return to Berlin. The dumping fuel system was activated at 1651LT and three minutes later, as the situation worsened, the captain started an emergency descent. At 1659LT, he informed ATC that he was losing control of the airplane and declared a fire on board. Shortly later, the empennage detached and totally out of control, the airplane dove into the ground and crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Königs Wusterhausen, about 11 km southeast of Berlin-Schönefeld Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and none of the 156 occupants survived the crash. Up to date, this was the worst aircraft crash in the European History.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The four engine aircraft was completing a charter flight from Berlin to Burgas with an intermediate stop in Sofia, carrying 80 East-German tourists who were flying on holidays to Burgas, on the shore of the Black Sea. While descending to Burgas, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds, rain falls and thunderstorm activity. On final, the four engine aircraft was too low, struck obstacles and crashed in flames few hundred meters short of runway threshold. Five crew members and 42 passengers were killed while 39 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed.